Every October
by larin20
Summary: The prophecy cast: "She will be born for you." Years of observance turned into love and Edward Cullen could not stay away anymore. Now she needs his protection. How can Edward deny his fate when he is the only one that can save her? A/U Mature
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Hey everyone! MissAlex and I are collabing on our new venture! I hope you love it like we do! **

**Thanks to Mike, Alex's bf for editing. **

**We don't own Twilight but I we just play for fun. **

**Prologue: Wash Away My Sins with the Blood That Flows**

My hands and feet were draped in black cloth and pure silver shackles adorned my wrists and ankles over the fabric. The dark blue robe covered me completely, ghosting the floor as I sat at the front, facing the hundreds of spectators. The air felt thick, scorching, though customary for this time of year in Italy. I was rendered helpless under these restraints, but ready to face the consequences of what I had done. If I had the opportunity, I would do it all over again without question.

The rogue responsible for the dreadful events that brought me here today was locked away for all eternity and that provided me with all the solace I needed to sit here proudly.

The silver shackles binding my wrists twitched slightly. I looked towards the back of the courtroom at my fellow coven members and locked eyes with the one who sourced the movement. I forced my exterior to remain solemn, but from my stare, she and the rest of my coven knew I felt her slight action. It was their way of showing their support since they could not voice it aloud or through any other channels.

Minion Alec worked for the Volturi and had the gift of blocking the special talent of any vampire, but only the ones of which he was aware. He made conscious efforts to focus on each vampire in order to accomplish this. Although the crowd was large, it was not difficult for him to handle everyone all at once. He could block thousands at a time if he wished.

Throughout this trial, Alec was in charge of ensuring that all of the vampires attending these proceedings were stripped of whatever powers they had registered in Volturi's database. But they did not know about _her_ power. They did not know she had the power to release me if I wanted it so. She gave me a slight smile, but her face, as well as the expressions of my other coven members, did not display any hope.

Something told me that even if everything worked out alright, the events that led to today would haunt me and my coven for the rest of eternity.

I forced myself to look away. The concern, guilt and sadness in their eyes were too much to bear. This was my fight, not theirs, and I would never drag them down with me. I did this for them – for _us_ – and if I was separated from them, sent away, I would expect them to go on with their existence without giving me another thought. Otherwise, it would have all been for nothing.

My recklessness and impatience brought me here today, but in my mind, those negative traits had been a blessing. It was those qualities that made me act how I did, without the assistance of my coven. And now she was safe. The end determined the means and I had no regrets.

I glanced to my right at Minion Jane who stood along the side wall in the official Volturi Government blood-red robe, hood up, monitoring the courtroom. One wrong move from anyone in here and she would inflict such excruciating pain on the unfortunate one with her mind that the victim would fall to the ground in agony, temporarily paralyzed until they could be properly restrained.

She was a petite vampire but her power was so great that she was the only security personnel the Volturi needed. Her abilities were legendary and most of our kind feared her. But not me. I feared nothing and no one. Her lips curled in a smirk as her black eyes locked eyes with mine. I looked away because I did not want to give her the additional satisfaction of seeing me in this vulnerable position. I was sure she enjoyed this enough already. She loved to see others suffer.

The large mahogany doors to my right creaked open and a cold blast of air flooded the courtroom. Aro, the head of the Volturi, strutted over the threshold flanked by Marcus and Caius, his top advisors. Aro took serious matters like this into his own hands and believed that his verdict was the only one that mattered. He was both judge and jury here today. Some of the spectators in the back gasped at his commanding presence. He was revered like a celebrity, but greatly feared by many. I did not even flinch, neither did my coven members.

His blood-red robe fluttered behind him as he marched across the room, coming to a stop directly in front of me, Marcus and Caius on either side. My gaze and confident posture did not falter when his menacing grey eyes met mine. He had the ability to read minds, including past thoughts, from just a simple touch to the skin of any vampire, but he chose to remain a few steps from me.

He was already fully aware of what happened. He had seen the events when he visited my cell upon my detention in North America and used his ability on me. He could have declared his verdict then, but instead, he insisted on putting on this ridiculous spectacle to showcase his power. His verdict could easily depend on his mood. There was no such thing as a fair trial where the Volturi were concerned.

He stared at me for a few moments before turning on his heel, taking his place behind the judge's bench. Marcus and Caius sat down at the long mahogany table in front of me, whispering furiously to each other in the Old Language, one that had long been extinct, except between Aro and his brothers. No one understood it except them which allowed for covert information to be shared within the highest powers of government without the risk of exposure.

"Order! Order in the court, I say!" Aro commanded, wrapping his gavel loudly.

Silence engulfed the room immediately. I stared blankly ahead.

"Edward Cullen."

Grudgingly, I turned in my chair to look into the eyes of the unsympathetic vampire in charge of my future. My shackles clinked together, echoing off the walls of the vast room. To avoid his gaze would be considered blasphemous and I would be held in contempt of court.

"Do you understand the charges brought against you by the court?"

I kept my voice low and monotone. I did not consider anyone my superior so my forced compliance was particularly tough, humiliating and out of character for me. "Yes, I do, Master Aro."

"You have entered a plea of not guilty and you have refused to accept legal council, is that correct?"

"Yes, that is correct, Master Aro." The formal title felt thick as it rolled off my tongue.

"You are prepared to defend yourself, then, and prove to this court that you should be freed and the charges expunged."

"That is correct, Master Aro." I lowered my gaze momentarily so he would not see the hatred in my eyes.

"Very well then, I will get straight to the point." His eyes narrowed and his icy demeanor radiated from every ounce of his being. "Why did you kill her?"

My mouth formed a tight line and I looked him directly in the eye. "I had no choice. It had to be done."

**A/N So are you thinking, "ZOMG! I'm confused!!" Trust us when we say that things aren't always what they seem. All the pieces of the puzzle will come together and we hope you'll love it or we may throw you for a loop. Either or leave a review telling us what you think. We crave those suckers and honestly it helps all the more.**

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	2. From Darkness into Moonlight

**A/N Hello lovelies!! Here is the first chapter of Every October, MissAlex and I plan on posting every week, so tentatively the next post will be next Sunday after I return from vacation. **

**Thank you all who read and reviewed the prologue! The response so far has been amazing! **

**Special thanks to Mike, MissAlex's boy toy for editing this! He's a studmuffin! LOL:)**

**MissAlex is EPOV and I'm BPOV**

**Twilight is not ours, Meyer owns all. **

Chapter One: From Darkness into the Moonlight

_**Edward**_

Midnights on weekdays are considered, by most, a time for sleep.

But not for me, nor my kind.

We did not sleep, _ever,_ so the nights were often spent existing without boundaries. During the day, my family – my vampire coven – fronted as regular human members of society. The seven of us came together under the bonds of camaraderie because we shared similar beliefs as to how vampires should live in society. We had all become vampires under various unique circumstances but most of us believed that our human lives were no longer a concern to us. We had each other now and that's all we needed.

Five of the members, including me, posed as adopted brothers and sisters and attended the local high school to keep up appearances. We were all changed in our late teenage years so we could pass for students. The other two members posed as our parents and we went by the last name Cullen because that was our patriarch's last name when he was human. Our father and the head of the coven, Carlisle, was an emergency room doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital, and his mate, Esme, was an interior designer. I respected them both greatly.

Nighttime was a different story entirely. We dropped our facades and moved about as we wished, away from the watchful eyes of our community.

The streets of Beacon Hill were quiet and damp tonight, the perfect environment for me to go about undetected. Aside from the occasional streetwalker or passerby, the cobblestone walkways were vacant and I kept to myself.

Although, as a vampire, I possessed the abilities to run fast or crush a lamp pole with my bare hands, I preferred to stroll at human speed, collecting my thoughts and reflecting on my existence under the full moon and the starry night sky. I usually ended the night with hunting before returning home when the sun came up to get ready for school.

Ninety-three years had flown by very quickly and there was no end in sight. I felt restless and despondent, but the other members of my family were extremely content with their existence. They had mates.

Carlisle had Esme. Emmett had Rose. Jasper had Alice.

I had myself.

It was not that I had self-imposed this isolation and loneliness, it was just the way things had worked out for me. And I figured this was how it would always be. Although my existence was enriched by my association with my coven, I always felt that there was something missing. If my heart was not dead already, I would feel a gaping hole in it, of this I was certain.

Unlike most nights, tonight I did not have much time for solitude. The rest of my family was out hunting together as usual. Alice typically accompanied them, but not this time. Instead, she asked me to meet her in the woods outside of Boston. Ever since the incident over two decades ago, it was rare that Alice ever ventured out by herself. She did not feel comfortable doing so. The fact that she chose to tonight told me she had something substantial to discuss. She also knew I liked hunting alone which made her request all the more peculiar to me. But there was no point in trying to evade her. Alice was small in her stature but her physical strength exceeded mine. I had no choice but to concede.

Upon our return home from school with the others this afternoon, she requested tonight's meeting without informing me of what it was about. The rest of them knew but they purposely went out of their way to block their true thoughts from me by focusing on trivial topics such as the weather or the paint colors on the walls.

My ability to read others' minds worked well with most, but the members of my coven, who were aware of my gift, could make a conscious effort to conceal their thoughts if they so desired. It was never my intention to pry. Usually, I focused on staying _out_ of their minds, but given the strange ambiance throughout our living quarters, I wanted to be informed about what everyone else knew already. However, my attempts were in vain. They were successful with their decoys because aside from some hunches, I still had absolutely no concrete idea as to what Alice's purpose was tonight.

The clock of the old Church of the Advent chimed loudly, signaling midnight. Using my acute hearing, I picked up no heartbeats in my immediate vicinity, except those belonging to the sewer rats, so I was able to forgo my human façade and take advantage of my breed's qualities bestowed upon me when Carlisle changed me in an infirmary at the age of seventeen.

Using my vampire speed, I traveled to the pre-arranged meeting spot outside of town within a few short moments. Alice was not yet here, so I waited in the darkness, my keen senses tuned to the sights and sounds of the forest around me. The air was thick and still and I was aware of the night creatures wandering around, going about their hunting rituals. The need to feed drove my own predatory instincts just like it did the animals out tonight.

Vampires stood at the top of the world's food chain. I often preyed upon the bears, mountain lions and wild boars that roamed the area because of my coven' s atypical vow to abstain from human blood. We adapted to that very well over the years, but I didn't always feel the strength and pride that accompanied our species' prestigious, unique position.

I felt small and inconsequential, for my existence did not contribute anything substantial like it should for someone who had an insurmountable amount of time and the world at his fingertips.

I had been through medical school five times, yet I did not practice. I had the ability to help humans by finding cures to diseases that plagued them, but I chose not to - or more specifically, I was not allowed. None of us were.

In our world, it was acceptable to accomplish great things on a small scale, but going global could create a very sticky situation. Our laws were created by our government in Italy, the Volturi, a collection of powerful vampires with very unique talents and the combined ability to create the most potent army in the world. They were feared by many of our kind which made them the ideal governing force. The decrees specifically stated that vampires were not allowed to draw unnecessary attention to themselves. It was ironic that we possessed the knowledge and skill to achieve so much, yet we were forced to remain average for protection of our race. Most of us were fine with this. Others, like me, found it frustrating.

On a more personal level, I felt my existence lacked a specific purpose with which my fellow brethren could not identify. Alice, Jasper, Rose, Emmett, Carlisle and Esme were sympathetic and concerned about me, but helpless in coming up with a solution to my never-ending problem. It was not as though a mate could be sought for me. Those sorts of things were often random and unexpected – for those lucky enough to experience that type of connection.

A snap of a twig caught my attention. I knew from the irregular heartbeat that pounded in my ears, it was not Alice, and I scanned my surroundings, my eyes locking with those of a snarling lone wolf standing only a few feet from me. His fur stood on end and his upper lip curled, revealing his fangs as he studied me, both terrified yet on the defense should I choose to attack. He was out hunting, just like I would be at this moment, had Alice not insisted we speak.

I was not particularly hungry, and wolves were not my preferred food source anyway, so he needn't have feared me, but his animalistic survival instincts told him I was a threat nonetheless. As I studied the yellow, menacing eyes of this creature, I sensed the tension in his muscles and the adrenaline in his veins.

He and I were not that much different. For just like the lone wolf, I was a lone vampire. I had been forced to adapt to that particular way of existing, considering my situation. But we both faced a problem. We needed to blend in and depend on others in order to survive, but how _could_ a lone creature blend in successfully when it was not our nature? Those that isolated themselves or acted differently than what was considered normal were often the ones singled out; their behavior studied. They were the ones considered most vulnerable to others of their species.

This I could relate to. In my own familial situation, I was pitied and the survival instincts I possessed in order to live just fine on my own were not a deterrent of any sympathy. As was the reason I believed Alice called this meeting tonight.

A fierce wind blew past me and I moved into attack mode, only to stand at ease when I saw Alice standing beside me with her arms crossed, glaring at my companion, the lone wolf.

"Ew," she crinkled her nose. "I absolutely despise their smell. Why didn't you send him away, Edward?" She stepped towards the wolf, curled her upper lip, and let out a low hiss. "Shoo, you ugly dog."

Immediately, the animal placed its tail between his legs, whimpering as he retreated into the dark forest. Apparently Alice was scarier than I was.

"Ah," she breathed deeply even though our kind did not require oxygen to survive. "Much better!"

She turned to me and fluffed her teased, black hair as if it needed to get any bigger than it already was. Out of all of the decades I had lived through, the 1980s were one of the most frightful in regards to style. The current year, 1989, was no exception to my belief.

Personally, I was always quite fond of the 1940s and 1950s. The men wore suits and the women always dressed in respectable attire. Now it was all about bare midriffs and ridiculously high hair. Often times it was difficult to distinguish a male from a female. Singers of rock bands, instead of promoting virility and strength, wore eye makeup and shiny, tight pants.

"So…" Alice began, twisting the toe of one of her hot pink pumps into the soil beneath her.

I focused on her thoughts but they told me nothing. I tried to infiltrate her self-imposed haze she always used to block me from reading her mind when she wanted to hide something but with no success. She sensed what I was doing and so I would not think she was obstructing me on purpose - which I knew she was - she lifted it slightly, and then began rattling off some nonsense about the current, chaotic state of my hair. This was absolutely absurd because my hair was always in disarray so it would not be a topic that she would be concerned about at this time or ever, for that matter - especially when compared to some of the awful hairstyles of the human males at our school.

She was stalling.

"So, you might as well get right to it, dear Alice," I replied, looking out into the distance, my heightened eyesight picking up the fallen logs on the ground and the babbling brook fifty feet away from where we stood.

"Did you want to hunt first?" she suggested casually.

Still stalling.

I turned to her, my expression clearly displaying my impatience. "You know me. I am not one for beating around the bush."

She sighed. "Yes, I know. But a girl's gotta try."

I chuckled. "Come on, just tell me. Is it _that_ bad? What did you see this time?"

Alice had the ability to see the future. Although nothing was concrete and her visions shifted as the people involved in the prophecy changed their minds, she was usually spot on with her predictions.

She shook her head. "No, it's not bad at all. In fact, it's quite good. I just hope you'll see it that way."

I cracked a branch off a nearby tree and the soft wood crumbled in my hand before falling to the moss-covered ground. "Can you not see what my reaction is going to be?"

"No," she huffed. "That's the problem. I've received nothing concrete about your response so I'm quite apprehensive about telling you."

'Well," I dusted my hand off on my pants, "you must tell me some time so it might as well be now."

She looked to the ground, twiddling her thumbs. After a few moments, she lifted her head and her gaze met mine. "I've discussed my findings with the rest of our family and we came to the conclusion it was best for me to tell you directly – alone."

She paused and I eyed her curiously.

"Edward, she will be born for you next year. She is made for _only_ you." Her confusing statements muddled in my head. "I see it perfectly clear. At first, I had blurry, incomprehensible flashes of what was happening. Nothing was concrete so I decided to wait for it to become clearer. Yesterday was that day. The vision came to me, and without a doubt, I now know what it all means. The child's conception happened late last night. She was fated for _you._"

My eyebrows furrowed together. "What on Earth does that mean? A child…fated for me?"

She shook her head. "No, not a child – a _woman_. This child will grow into a woman and she will be yours – your mate."

"A _human_ as my mate?" I scoffed, my arms flying out at my sides. "Are you out of your mind? You know that is against the rules – it does not happen - _ever_. The Volturi are very strict about keeping our race a secret and something like that would mean exposing my true self. I would not age – she would. I have no heart beat; my skin is ice cold, my body hard like stone. This…_woman_…would grow suspicious and find out what I am – what _we_ are." I shook my head. "You are wrong. Your vision is wrong."

The haze enveloping her thoughts lifted.

'_I'm never wrong,' _she spoke without saying a word aloud.

She opened her mind further and what I saw shocked me so greatly that if I were human, I would have fallen to my knees.

"No!" I shouted, darting a few hundred feet away from her. She followed, cornering me against a large boulder, her speed faster than mine.

Her gold eyes glowed in the darkness as I pressed my back against the rock without the possibility of escape. "You will make her one of us. I'm not sure how or when it will happen – but unquestionably, it _will_ happen."

The cool fall air whipped around us. My upper lip curled, exposing my teeth like the lone wolf earlier, and a low growl reverberated from my chest. I would never attack Alice, but my fear over my supposed fate overwhelmed me. I was always so in control of my emotions, my reaction surprised me greatly. Alice did not even flinch.

I lowered my top lip and took on a more appropriate expression as one should towards someone they cared about. "I apologize for my reaction, but you are wrong. I will _never _bring anyone into this life. If she is meant for me then I will deny it – I will avoid her, whatever it takes. I will change her fate."

The image of a young woman flashed in Alice's mind over and over again, willingly me to pay attention. She was beautiful, but her pale skin and red eyes were characteristically vampire. The thing that caught me off guard was that she was _smiling_. Was it possible that she was _happy_?

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing the mental image to go away. "No," I seethed through my teeth.

"I've seen it, just like I showed you right now," Alice whispered. "There is no way to avoid what's meant to be. Her name is Isabella Sw-"

"Please," I clutched my chest where my heart had once beaten. "Say no more. I will not stand for it. I know you and the others are just trying to help but…"

If this were the future of anyone else but me, I would have accepted her claims readily, undisputedly. But this – _this_ could not happen – _ever_. Her vision had to be incorrect. It was obviously being misinterpreted because I would never take the life of a human in order to satisfy my own desires.

Alice shifted awkwardly on her feet. Vampires did not fidget. It was just something we did around humans to blend in. She closed off her mind to me again and seemed unsure about what to say or do next.

After a few moments, the haze lifted.

'_I will never bring it up again unless you do,_' she vowed to me in her mind.

She sounded sad, dejected. It was no secret that I had crushed her hope for my happiness, as well as all the others' desire to see me with a mate.

I nodded and suddenly the urge to feed besieged me.

"Come, Edward," Alice offered me her hand with a small, knowing smile. "There is a wildcat with your name on it. You're going to feel much better when you're through with her."

I appreciated her concern and the rest of my family was undoubtedly excited by her vision too, but it was something that could never happen. I was not a charity case. They need not pity me. I had made it this far without a mate, so I could handle it indefinitely if I had to – if it meant that innocent young woman with the intoxicating smile and stunning brown hair would remain human.

Accepting her extended hand, we darted off into the forest in search of our meal. As a mournful howl sounded off in the distance, I wondered if the lone wolf had any success in finding his.

**Leave me sugar!**


	3. From Dusk to Dawn

**A/N Hello my lovelies! I'm back from vacation and I'm so glad to be home. Thank you so much for everyone who put this story on alerts and faves and also to the many who have reviewed. You're truly the best! I can't say enough. **

**MissAlex is responsible for Edward and his self loathing and Larin20 is responsible for Bella and her blush....when we get to it.**

**A special thanks to Mike, Alex's bf for editing and to my lova MissAlex for being the best bestie a girl could have! **

**Twilight shit isn't mine, but Every October is:)**

**Chapter Two: From Dusk to Dawn**

**EPOV**

The year 1994 was upon us, and if I thought men wearing tights and makeup in the 1980s was appalling, it was nothing compared to the hideous shirt referred to as the _wife-beater_ and the need to wear an unbuttoned flannel shirt over top of it.

Long hair, combat boots and ripped jeans were also in style and I dreaded having to walk about the high school halls every day looking like a human that had just rolled out of bed. I was an extremely clean, organized vampire so it was not a trend I was fond of. At least vampire hair did not grow so I was able to avoid that particular fad without Alice protesting and telling me to try harder to fit in. Unfortunately, grunge rock was the music of choice so when I was in the confines of our home, I spent hours in my bedroom cleansing my ears with the sounds of Chopin and Mozart.

The young woman in Alice's vision – my supposed fate - was never far from anyone's mind, even though it was five years ago that I rejected her prophecy. The six of them tried to switch focus whenever I was around, but I would get flashes of their thoughts here and there, even when I tried to block them out. I knew they meant well, but it was becoming quite tiresome.

We moved to Seattle after Emmett, Rose, Alice, Jasper and I graduatedfrom high school in Boston so we would not draw suspicion. Our relocation was necessary every few years because of this reason. My nightly walks became longer than usual and my hunting more sporadic until my blood thirst consumed me and I had no choice but to feed. During my strolls, I was able to dress how a male should – in dress pants and dress shirt - and reclaim the Edward I truly was.

My human memories were fuzzy and I was not fully aware of my life back in Chicago before I was changed, but I liked to think that I was a distinguished gentleman and not a brute like the young males of today.

Five years to a vampire was inconsequential, but personally, I felt these last five dragged on longer than most. I went about my studies, immersing myself in elementary mathematics, English and science, each day passing by, none standing out more than the last, but my underlying restlessness was difficult to ignore.

The autumn breeze danced around me as I jammed my hands into the pockets of my jacket and headed for the park by our house. Today was October 31st, Halloween, and I changed my walk to the late afternoon to avoid the fake ghouls, goblins and vampires that would roam the streets tonight. I found it comical when children dressed up in suits, black capes, cummerbunds and false fangs to portray our kind.

_Interview with the Vampire_ and _Bram Stokers' Dracula_ were recently released and the vampire trend had returned full force. It happened once every few years. A new book or film would come out, spinning the public into a frenzy over the mysterious, sexual creatures of the night. They became _New York Times_ bestsellers, box-office hits, and spawned a fresh cult following, reminiscent of generations before them.

The storylines were the same, only the names changed, but the people wrapped up in the excitement welcomed them as though it had never been done before. Garlic, holy water, crucifixes, fangs and sunlight were some of the many misconceptions about vampires, but I had to admit, it was an amusing concept.

Entering the park on the northeast corner, I headed directly into its center. Couples ambled along the winding paths hand in hand, single humans walked their dogs, and children played while their parents looked on adoringly as though their progeny were more special than all the rest.

It made me feel lonelier than ever. That was the reason I usually walked at night. Although I felt lonesome then as well, there was nothing worse than feeling alone amongst a crowd.

I had never known a love like these people. I cared deeply for my coven, but that was different. I saw the way they looked at their mates and I could not identify with that. But after all of these decades, I had learned to cope and push my forlorn thoughts aside.

As I approached the playground on my way to the pond to watch the ducks, I felt a tingling sensation in my chest, unlike anything I had ever felt in my entire vampire existence. Clutching my hand where the sensation was most prominent, I tried to make sense of the feelings that overwhelmed me.

It was not long before I realized what they were.

Anticipation. Longing. _Fear._

I halted in my tracks.

I was _never _afraid.

My eyes darted around the park, searching for an explanation, but all I saw were the usual scenes one would recognize on a playground such as rambunctious children and doting mothers.

Someone – some_thing_ – was close, but as I scanned my surroundings further, I came up with no justification for my uneasiness. The breeze blew a sweet, potent jasmine scent my way and I felt even more confused.

Was it another vampire?

But I was not afraid of vampires, or anything for that matter, even if there was a threat in the area.

Normally, vampires did not fight amongst themselves, and the Volturi's established laws ensured that we lived harmoniously with each other and with humans, but some of our kind liked to cause trouble.

Rogue vampires.

My coven and I knew that all too well.

My eyes continued to sweep the park and I thought back to the time almost thirty years ago which had nearly ripped our coven apart. Since then, the seven of us had never discussed what happened - the memories all too painful of what we had almost lost.

I opened my mind up to the thoughts around me but all I could hear were the banal complaints of housewives and the exuberant, carefree thoughts of children. As I walked towards the playground apparatus, the tingling sensation traveled from my torso to my extremities, reverberating stronger than before.

Using my heightened sense of smell, I concluded that there were no other vampires in the area. I surveyed the perimeter, studying the children, and my eyes locked with those of a young girl wearing a lady bug costume. She looked no more than four or five years old and she sat at the top of a long metal slide, looking directly at me.

At that moment, I could have sworn that my dead heart beat in my chest and I almost doubled over. She stared at me as though she could see into my long lost, forgotten soul. But she was much too young to know what I really was. I was around adult humans all the time and even _they_ had no inkling that I was not one of them. So why did I intrigue her?

As I stepped towards the bottom of the slide, I wondered most importantly, why did _she _intrigue _me_? She looked like a normal little girl – not that I was the best judge of normal - but as I stood there, perplexed, I suddenly realized what it was.

She had no thoughts – or more accurately, I could not _hear_ her thoughts.

Tilting her head to the side, she giggled. "My name is Bella. Catch me when I get to the bottom."

Fearlessly, she slid down the slide and I was astounded when I reached out without hesitation and caught her. It was not my custom to be so open to others, especially humans. At least I had fed recently so my eyes were gold and not red which would have looked downright frightful to her. The gold, although unique, was never a source of deep suspicion for humans.

As soon as she landed in my arms, the contraption Alice bought for me and insisted I carry around, which she called a cellular phone, began ringing in my pocket. Confused, I looked down at the little brown-haired girl. My skin was ice cold, but the child did not flinch or pull away. Her pulse quickened, but from excitement, not alarm.

A buzzing sound reverberated in my head and my shock caused me to let go of the child immediately, placing her on her feet. I took a step back and folded my arms across my chest, puzzled as to what was causing this strange sensation.

"I like you," she stated, as though it was the simplest, most ordinary thing in the world. "I like that you catch me. Do you like my costume? I'm a lady bug."

I chuckled and dropped my arms to my sides, realizing that this child was the reason for my initial fear - this little _human_ that was not even half my size. The sweet jasmine scent I smelled earlier emanated from _her_. I was truly losing my sound mind. Perhaps my desire to isolate myself from others had begun to take its toll.

"Yes, I like your spots," I replied warily, studying her flushed face as the ringing of my phone ceased.

I was not accustomed to socializing with children but I seemed to be doing alright because her smile never faltered. Continuously, I tried to read her thoughts, but still heard nothing.

This frustrated me and I focused on the other people in the park around me, just to make sure that I had not lost my gift entirely. When I heard the thoughts of a woman playing with her child in the sandbox, I confirmed that it was just _this_ little girl that I could not hear.

"What are you supposed to be?" she asked as she looked up at me with wide, dark brown eyes.

My eyebrows knitted together. "Excuse me?"

"Your costume, silly," she giggled, twisting from side to side.

Was I actually being out-smarted by a four year old?

"My costume? Uh…I do not have a costume."

She pursed her lips. "Well, what's your name then? What can I call you?"

This little human was persistent and stubborn. But oddly enough, I admired her attitude and found her quite amusing.

"I am just a friend," I replied with a shrug. I felt it best not to go into specifics.

"I'm going trick-or-treating tonight to get some candy!" Her eyes sparkled and she flapped her arms, causing the additional lady bug extremities on her costume to travel up and down, mimicking her movement.

"Isabella! Isabella Swan!"

I glanced to my right and spotted a woman running towards me. My eyes widened when I realized that she was not looking for me - she was calling out to my little companion – whom she had just called _Isabella_.

Bella. Isabella.

Why had I not made the connection earlier?

Flashbacks of my time with Alice in the woods five years ago invaded my mind and I staggered backwards, feeling utterly overwhelmed. This child trusted me and I felt drawn to her because shewas my supposed destiny. When she grew older, Isabella Swan would be my mate.

My cellular phone began ringing in my pocket again, the shrill cry burrowing deep into my brain like a jackhammer.

"Momma," Isabella tugged at the hem of her mother's shirt as I stared down at her incredulously. "I made a new friend. He catches me and never lets me fall."

Her mother, understandably, eyed me cautiously, and her thoughts revealed the normal concerns that would go through any parent's mind upon finding their child with a complete stranger. I did not blame her. Even I was perplexed by my encounter with her daughter.

"Do you have a child here, sir?" the mother asked as my cell phone stopped ringing again.

It was at this time that I knew without a doubt who had been so persistently calling me since Isabella landed in my arms.

_She knew._

Which meant they _all _knew.

"N-no," I stammered. This was the first time in my entire vampire existence that I was truly speechless. "I apologize. I will be on my way."

I looked down at Isabella once more and she gave me a small wave as she smiled from ear to ear. Turning on my heel, I walked away from her, even though every inch of my being told me that it was wrong. Now my earlier feelings made sense. My fear was not the result of fearing for my life. Instead, it stemmed from the fact that Isabella was my alleged destiny and that terrified me even before I knew she was the one. My body sensed it before my psyche.

The only thought racing through my mind at this moment, nagging me, was that it was my duty to protect her, to ensure that no harm ever came to her. Though in actuality, I was probably the least appropriate one for the job, given that I was a vampire, the most dangerous creature out there. But this was no longer about rationale. That had disappeared the moment I laid eyes on her. Although none of this made any sense, there was no question in my mind. I _had_ to do it.

The problem was that Alice's visions were all or nothing - there was no in between. Was it possible that when Isabella became a young woman, I would grow to _love_ her? It was hard to think of it in those terms when right now she was only a little girl and I harbored no such feelings towards her.

This was not something that I could just walk away from. My curiosity was piqued. In those brief moments by the slide, my connection to Isabella grew much too strong to ignore. Oh, how foolish I had been all of these years to think that I could avoid her. Now my sole objective was to figure out a way to check in on her without intruding on her life.

My frustration besieged me and I contemplated the situation if I were to approach her after she came of age. Perhaps there was a way to befriend the older Isabella, watch over her, and at the same time, keep our relationship strictly platonic. By having no romantic ties to her, I could walk away at any time if I had to.

But something told me that if I sought Isabella when she was seventeen - my human age - my fate would be sealed and Alice's prophecy would come true.

As I walked away from the playground, I struggled to ignore the pull behind me. My cellular phone rang again. This time I answered it.

"She's lovely, isn't she?"

Alice.

Right then and there, I made up my mind. Every October, on Halloween, I would check in on Isabella to ensure that she was alright. It was the only time it would be acceptable for a monster like me to associate with a sweet, innocent human like her. However, she would never know I was watching her and I would not directly approach her until after her seventeenth birthday. At that time, I would befriend her. The key component in all of this was that it was in my best interest, and hers, to never to seek anything more than friendship.

Because amongst all of my uncertainty, one thing was definite - there was one constituent of Alice's predictions that would never come true. I would never _ever_ turn Isabella Swan into a vampire. I would never wish that form of existence upon anyone. I had not been given a choice, and although I did not harbor any resentment towards Carlisle for changing me without my consent, I would never make that decision for Isabella like he did for me.

I swallowed slowly, lowering my phone for a moment as I glanced over my shoulder at the little girl in the bug costume who one day, absurdly enough, was supposed to become my future, my mate - the sole reason for my existence.

Returning the receiver to my ear, I sighed. "Yes, Alice. Yes, she is..."

**A/N I copied what MissAlex said in her notes, We hope we made it perfectly clear in this chapter that right now, Edward is NOT in love with a child Bella. Because, ew gross. This chapter is NOT supposed to be creepy, just trying to illustrate the dynamic that poses itself to Edward. Edward has the purest of intentions. He is simply perplexed and intriqued by her and feels the intense desire to protest her.**

**So what do you think? Leave me sugar!____**


	4. In The Path Of A Silver Bullett

**A/N Hey there my lovelies! Another week, another update:) **

**Remember MissAlex takes care of Edward's Vantage and Larin20 does Bella's make-up, even when she complains. **

**Special thanks to Mike for editing **

**Twilight isn't mine, but Every October is Alex's and mine.**

**Chapter Three: In the Path of a Silver Bullet**

_**Edward**_

The year 2007 started off to most as any other year, but to me, it was different - special. I had been waiting for this date for thirteen years. Isabella Swan was seventeen years old. Although I had lived many more years than that as a vampire, my physical appearance reflected that of a teenager. In my mind, I considered myself the same age as her so I deemed it a suitable time to befriend her.

Whereas the years before Alice told me about my destiny went by very quickly, the years following had not. After that afternoon in the park thirteen years ago, I trailed Isabella and her mother home, undetected, and vanished when I made note of their address. From then on, I stayed true to my code and no matter where we lived in North America, I visited Isabella every Halloween - on that day only - and I always made sure that she and her parents were oblivious to my presence.

Throughout the years, during those exceptional, brief moments, I saw her as a precocious child riding her two-wheeler bicycle, an awkward pre-teenager with braids and braces, and most recently, a stunning young woman, socializing with her friends without parental supervision. Each visit brought me a new surprise and soon I found myself anticipating October 31st every year.

But the one thing that struck me as I watched her grow was that she was getting older, and I was not. One day, she would be no more and the thought of no longer having her in my life, even from afar, shredded me from the inside out.

It was at the beginning of this year, when my coven pushed me into following through on my plan to meet Isabella after her seventeenth birthday that I realized my protectiveness over her was now accompanied by a new emotion - love.

For so long I felt nothing of the sort towards her. But now that she was a woman, everything had changed.

Alice had been right.

Because for all my pushing away, all my denial, it was earlier this year that I realized I belonged to her. I always had. Isabella Swan owned me, right down to my very core. Down to the darkest, loneliest part of me, I loved her and the woman she now was. Even though I did not know her favorite color, what music she liked, or what made her laugh, I needed her in my life. Selfishly, dangerously, I wanted nothing more than to keep her with me for all the rest of my days.

I wanted her to be _mine_. It was a strong urge that felt so new to me. I fought with my desires daily, and told myself that when we finally met, I would remain her friend and nothing else. It was not what I truly wanted but it was better than nothing.

A more intimate relationship would be disastrous for her, and staying away from her completely would be disastrous for me. So I extended my boundaries to include friendship and drew upon all of my self-restraint to remain within the compounds of my limitations. It was imperative to put Isabella's well-being first in preparation for our impending meeting. I had to remain in control of myself.

In between my yearly visits to Isabella, my existence had not changed. I bored myself with repeating high school, but it was as good a way as any to pass the time. I traveled all over the world many times before and had simply lost my creativity and desire to expand my horizons. My mind had only one focus, so whether it was high school, college, or working in some banal full time job, none of it interested me. The rest of my coven were in similar situations and it had worked for us this long. No one could think of a reason for us to change.

This past spring, we were due for a move because the _Cullen kids_ had once again graduated from high school - this time in San Francisco. Isabella had lived in Seattle all of these years, but in late August, Alice informed me that her family moved to a small town in Washington State called Forks.

It was at this time we decided that would be our next destination. It worked out well because we could not return to Seattle since we had already lived there in recent years. I was not sure how or where I would approach her but now that Isabella was in Forks, attending high school with her seemed like the perfect plan. Normally, we chose large cities because they allowed us to blend in easily, but Alice insisted that our new home would be Forks.

Although they had all the time in the world, I was grateful that my coven chose to come here just for me. Splitting up was never an option so it was difficult to appease everyone, but in this situation, each member conceded without any objections. For years, I coasted through my vampire life without purpose, traveling wherever the others desired, without feeling any strong opinions on the matter. But now that I had a reason to exist, for the first time ever, I would have voiced disapproval had they not all agreed to move to Forks.

We purchased a large, secluded home in the woods where we could dwell without disturbance and decorated it with all of the items a human family would, just in case we ever had any uninvited visitors. We would all have to take special precautions because the population of Forks was so small, but Alice saw no danger in the foreseeable future for the Cullen Clan. Of course, that could all change, but she monitored her visions daily for any warning signs, not to be tricked like she was that time many years before. That terrible incident was never far from our minds.

Carlisle achieved a position at the local hospital; Esme was attempting to start up her interior design business, which would undoubtedly be successful because her endeavors always were, while the rest of us enrolled in our senior year at Forks High School as model students.

Today was our first day and it happened to land on October 31st. Halloween.

Although we obtained the keys to our home in September, we were not able to transfer into the high school right away because our move was very last minute and space was limited. But after some persistence from Carlisle, the school's principal conceded and we were allowed entry. Our transcripts showed that we were gifted students and Esme told the headmaster she began home-schooling us when we moved to town so we would not fall behind.

So far, only Carlisle had been seen by the community because he had started his position at the hospital in September. Esme had only been seen by the human male she acquired her interior design office from following our arrival in town so, she too, remained a mystery.

The town's females gossiped about Carlisle's charm, blonde hair, and leading man good looks, while their husbands tried their best to assert their manliness and not feel threatened by the new, attractive doctor in town.

The people of Forks speculated about the rest of us but we had yet to show our faces. We chose to lay low in our home and familiarize ourselves with their way of life from afar to have a better chance of fitting in. So far nothing out of the ordinary had been observed. In fact, this town was quite the bore, if not for Isabella.

Isabella's father, Charlie, was the local police chief. His promotion was the reason for their move from Seattle, amongst various concerns for his heath. Carlisle had spoken to him at the hospital on several occasions and remarked that he was a friendly, simple man. Isabella's mother, Renee, was a homemaker. Her family was regarded like ours because they were new to Forks as well and I hoped that I could use that in my approach to connect with her. It was safe to assume that she already knew we were here because we were the focus of everyone's gossip.

Although I was aware of what house belonged to Isabella and her family, I forced myself to remain in the shadows. For some reason, until Halloween, it did not seem appropriate to introduce myself. So for the first time ever, I hunted with my coven at night, welcoming the distraction their camaraderie provided me. They helped strengthen my resolve so I would not give in to my desire to visit Isabella while she slept - the least likely time she would detect my presence.

But now my self-imposed restriction was gone and I would finally speak with her after all of these years. It sounded absolutely asinine, but I hoped that after I made myself known to her, she would like me. I assumed she would or else Alice never would have insisted that we move to Forks when Isabella and her family did, but still, nothing was certain.

I had always refrained from inquiring about the details of my future. Throughout the years, our coven often relied on Alice's visions to predict our safety, but occasionally, some members also inquired into the specifics about themselves that had nothing to do with the family. I, however, preferred not to.

The desire to find out more was strong, but when it came to Isabella, I assumed there were some things I did not want to know - such as any information about her possibly becoming one of us. I would not let that happen. I wanted to control my destiny, which in turn, I hoped, would alter Isabella's as well. I did not want Alice's prophecies to control me. If I did not know the specifics, then I felt I had a better chance of rewriting it.

"Are you ready for another exciting first day of senior year, brother?" Emmett grinned, affectionately slapping my back as we joined the rest of our coven in the kitchen.

His hand landed heavily against my shoulder blade but he used merely a fraction of his actual strength. Psychically he was much larger than me, but I was marginally stronger, as was Jasper, another member in our coven. Alice, surprisingly so, was physically the strongest and fastest, followed by Rosalie.

That was something we males never heard the end of and we often lost to them in competitive games of arm wrestling and baseball.

"Yes, it should be quite eventful." I looked to the floor, realizing that all six pairs of eyes were focused on me. They all knew what today meant for me but none of them would acknowledge it outright. I did not have to be a mind reader to know what they were truly thinking.

They believed Alice's prophecy was progressing quite nicely, but they had no idea that I kept a few things to myself as well. They were not aware of my objective to become nothing more than Isabella's friend because I knew they would use Alice's vision as evidence against me. I did not need the added opposition when it was already hard enough to stick to my resolution.

"Alright, kids, now does everyone have their lunches?" Carlisle teased as he put on his white lab coat in preparation for his day shift at the hospital. The five of us groaned. He said the same thing every time we started at a new school. It was an old, tired, running joke by now, but he always found the humor in it.

Carlisle's career was especially interesting for him because he possessed the unique ability to selectively heal superficial wounds on humans with a single touch. Although, it was hardly a talent he could use often because it would create too much suspicion, under some circumstances, if a patient was not conscious or very alert, he would assist them in any way he could. It was his compassionate nature that made him want to be a practicing physician. He did not need to work, but he chose to. He had always pushed me into putting my medical degree to use but I never appeased him.

Chuckling, he wrapped his arm around Esme's waist as she gazed at us with a twinkle in her eye, like a proud mother. I did not have any memories of my real mother, but I cared for Esme as though she was the one who had birthed me. She was dressed sharply in a suit and her light brown hair was fastened into a sophisticated bun for her first day at the office.

As we exited the kitchen, my fellow coven members hand in hand with their significant others, I tried to convince myself that being Isabella's friend was adequate. When we reached the front door, and five of us picked up our school bags, Alice's voice invaded my mind loud and clear.

"_I'm happy for you, Edward,"_ was all she said.

I refrained from turning around and meeting her gaze because it was not necessary. I could clearly imagine her soft expression, one full of hope, a silent wish that her self-appointed brother would no longer be alone.

Running my hand through my hair, a habit I picked up as of late, we walked down the front stairs to the garage, traveling at human speed, the fallen leaves crunching under our feet. We were deep in the woods but hunting was a popular sport by the males in this town so we chose to act what they would perceive as normal. Our heightened senses picked up on human presence, but it was not worth the risk if someone accidently spotted us.

Jasper used the remote controlled device he had designed and opened the garage door, revealing an impressive display of four very expensive, extremely flashy automobiles. He was the technological genius of our coven. Whether it came to computers, gadgets, and electronics - he was master of it all.

I glanced at Rosalie and her eyes lit up as she scanned the vehicles. These purchases had been all her doing. She insisted we buy new cars for the move, for no other reason but she wanted us to own something innovative. One advantage of being vampires was that money was no object. Our funds had accumulated over the years to amounts so grand that we were able to live in great wealth. Although I was satisfied with simple belongings, I had to admit that I did like nice things as well.

These vehicles did our goal of blending in no good, but the town already knew we were wealthy and had lived in big cities prior to moving here so it was not completely out of the ordinary for us to have such possessions. Since the laws for our kind were so strict otherwise, we allowed ourselves this particular indulgence.

Rose's love of cars matched that of her love for Emmett. In her mind, the more powerful, the better. Whereas Alice took it upon herself to ensure the coven had the proper stylish attire according to the year's current trends, Rosalie could take any one of these machines apart and put it back together. It was quite impressive. She loved shocking unsuspecting men with her mechanical ability for her supermodel good looks often stereotyped her as the typical blonde bimbo that did not like to get her hands dirty.

She was anything but stupid or weak. If she had not changed her ways and dedicated her existence to feeding on animal blood, her Siren abilities would have assisted her in luring many unsuspecting humans to their death. In addition, Rose also had immunity to the affects of pure silver and the unique ability to move, manipulate or break it with her mind. As far we knew, there were no other vampires on Earth that shared this talent.

Although vampires were extremely strong, pure silver was our weakness. It did not kill us like a beheading or burning would, instead, we could not shatter it or alter its form in any way. Normally, if a vampire sustained a non life threatening injury, we healed almost instantly. However, if our skin came into contact with pure silver, it took longer to heal and the immediate burn received from contact, was incredibly painful. We could be in its proximity and it did not bother us, it was only direct contact that was the problem. Luckily, many silver items we encountered on a daily basis were silver alloys, so we were fine. It was mostly used by our kind for restraints or in our prisons.

This made Rose's immunity and talent all the more useful. Vampires were required to register their powers with the Volturi government, much like a human would register a firearm. However, miraculously, she was able to keep her gift a secret from the Volturi in the over eighty decades she had been a vampire by instead, registering with her other, common ability of melting metal with her mind. If the Volturi were aware of her primary power, they would undoubtedly recruit her as one of their own and that was not something she was interested in. Our government was not comprised of vampires that we wanted to associate with. We had all learned that through personal experience.

"I get the Bimmer!" Emmett bellowed as he moved over to the far wall at a speed that rivaled that of lightning and grabbed the keys to his chosen vehicle. We kept the keys in the garage because Jasper had wired our home with a security system that was so far advanced, humans would never catch up with it even in the next one hundred years.

"Emmett..." Esme warned.

For a vampire who could selectively erase human memories, Emmett was quite forgetful himself.

He chuckled and pulled open the driver's door. "Sorry, I know, I know - slower next time, we never know who's watching - I just got a little excited."

In the blink of an eye, Rose was by his side with a smirk, the BMW keys dangling from her forefinger. Emmett looked at his now empty hand and pouted.

"Nice try, baby," Rose purred. "But _I'm_ driving."

The rest of us laughed as Emmet sulked and grudgingly walked around to the passenger side door. It was no secret that with a mated couple, the females always had the upper hand. But to the males that loved them, they would not want it any other way.

I finally understood that concept now.

"Jasper and I get the yellow Porsche 911 Carrera!" Alice giggled as she walked at a human's pace to pick up the car keys from the wall. Jasper, who had never abandoned his southern gentlemanly charm after he was changed, opened the passenger side door for her with a smile before she handed the keys to him. She curtsied, grinning widely, her love for her mate evident in her stare. Jasper shut her door after she sat down and then made his way over to the other side, happily.

There were two vehicles left. I looked to my left at Carlisle and Esme. "Which would you like?"

Eyeing the two choices, Carlisle placed his hands into the pockets of his lab coat and rocked back and forth on his feet - a human trait he had obviously unconsciously picked up from being around the hospital all of these years. "I'll take the Mercedes, if that's alright. I was intrigued by this particular model when it first debuted back in 1963 and this 2007 version has me quite smitten."

I nodded, gesturing towards the vehicle. "It's yours then."

"Edward," he stepped towards me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Everything is going to be fine." He flashed me a warm smile and I dropped my gaze, unsure of how to respond. I was never one to display emotion.

Understanding all too well, he gave my shoulder a squeeze and stepped back to Esme's side. "Come, my darling," he whispered into her ear. "Your chariot awaits."

He placed his hand on her lower back, guiding her towards the passenger side of the vehicle. Using her mind, Esme retrieved the keys from across the garage, and Carlisle caught them in his hand. He opened the door for her, ensuring she was in her seat before he ventured over to the driver's side of the vehicle.

Esme possessed the talent to move objects with her mind, except anything composed of pure silver. Although she had the ability to levitate larger items such as automobiles, the heavier ones always left her quite tired afterwards. Mostly, her gift was used around the house and it came in handy when she was alone in a client's dwellings, putting her decorating skills to work.

As Carlisle slammed his driver's side door shut, I studied the car at the far end of the garage.

It looked like the black Aston Martin V12 Vantage was mine.

Personally, I was glad. I preferred this vehicle out of all the other options. It was quite interesting that while my coven chose the German automobiles, I was fond of the French model. It was just an additional way that I was different from the rest of them.

After grabbing the keys, I tossed my messenger bag inside and eased myself into the driver's seat, reveling in the sweet feeling of the leather steering wheel and stick shift under my grip. As all four engines roared to life, the ground shook as though Forks was experiencing an earthquake. The combined sounds of the vehicles were deafening as we peeled out of the garage at the same time and hit the open road.

As vampires, we all possessed a love for speed. Safety was not a concern because we were essentially indestructible in ways a human would not be, so behind the wheel, we were more like Nascar drivers than the typical suburban, carpooling family.

At blinding speeds, we raced along the winding roads towards town. Carlisle and Esme dispersed from the group and turned right when we hit our first stop sign, en route to the hospital and Esme's office which were in the opposite direction of the school, while the rest of us continued on into the heart of Forks.

Forced to obey the speed limits now that we were around civilization, I grudgingly shifted gears and coasted the small town streets towards the high school at a pace I was positive a snail could outrun.

As our luxurious caravan pulled up in front of Forks High and entered the parking lot, we immediately had the attention of every student and teacher in the area.

Their whispers and internal thoughts were all the same: The elusive Cullen kids had finally emerged.

I eased into a parking spot in between Jasper and Rose and turned off the engine, squeezing my eyes shut as I concentrated on blocking out the chatter of the people around me in order to compose myself.

Today was the day.

A soft knock on my window made me open my eyes. Alice stood on the other side, eyeing me with a worried look on her face. She knew I had shut everyone out.

"I'm fine," I murmured.

She nodded, hearing my soft words of reassurance, but when she walked away, she did not look any less concerned. I popped the collar of the jacket she insisted I wear to look stylish and prepared myself for my first day with Isabella.

Grabbing my bag from the passenger seat, I exited the vehicle to crisp fall weather and scanned the parking lot.

Unsurprisingly, everyone stared at us as we stood by our vehicles and engaged our car alarms. Upon further exploration, I picked up on the comments I typically heard from students every time we started at a new school.

Everyone commented on our automobiles, but more specifically, the males sized up Emmett, Jasper and me, quickly determining we were threats. But not in the way they should, for they did not fear for their lives. Instead, they feared we would steal their women.

The females loved Alice's unique sense of style, felt envious of Rosalie and her extraordinary beauty, and regarded Jasper and Emmett has handsome and virile.

As for me, _Greek God-like_ _perfection_, _James Dean rebel, chiseled features,_ and _beautiful, bronze_ _sex hair_ seemed to be the popular words of choice.

But my mind was not focused on their trivial thoughts and mindless observations.

It was on Isabella and when I would get to see her.

I was nervous.

I was _never_ nervous.

A wave of calm suddenly washed over me and immediately, I looked over at Jasper. He gave me a slight smile and I sighed, bringing the strap of my bag over my head and placing it across my chest.

Aside from his technological genius, Jasper had the ability to control people's emotions, a gift he had obviously thought I was in dire need of at this moment. Of course, he was correct in his assumption, but I did not want him or my other coven members to know that.

I was always the strong, silent, brooding type and to show any vast range of emotion, in my opinion, was a sign of weakness. And weak I was not.

The rattling sound of some sort of red, hideous vehicle caught my attention as it sputtered down the road in front of the school with _Pearl Jam_ emanating from its muffled speakers. It pulled into the parking lot and immediately the humming in my chest began.

Isabella was here.

"Um, Edward, we'll see you at lunch," Alice called out as she pulled Jasper towards the building. Emmett and Rose quickly followed, leaving me alone amongst the stares of our peers and the presence of the woman who was my destiny.

All eyes were still on me, but I studied Isabella as she hopped out of her rusted vehicle, as though she were the only one on this entire planet.

I assumed it was a trunk - '_was'_ as the operative word here. It _used_ to be a trunk - that is, before it took whatever brutal beating it had received. I was surprised the contraption even ran and right away my protectiveness kicked in and I wanted to walk over to her and tell her she was not safe in that vehicle and that I would drive her anywhere she wanted to go from now on, or buy her a safer, more reliable car like a Volvo.

But instead, I forced myself to remain still as I leaned against the back of my Vantage.

Actually, I fiddled with my car keys just so the humans would not grow suspicious as to why I looked _too _still - and I watched her from afar. Suddenly, all of my initial plans of approach seemed to fall short. I could not just advance towards her out of the blue and strike up a conversation. I had been through high school enough times to know that sort of behavior could be deemed odd. So instead, I remained in my place and studied her, hoping that she would notice me.

She grabbed her backpack and slammed the door shut, pushing her dark brown hair from her beautiful flushed face. The rusty hinges creaked and if I were human, I would have shuddered at the horrible sound. But Isabella gave it no notice. She wore earphones and my acute hearing picked up on the rock song coming from her iPod - _The Perfect Drug _by _Nine Inch Nails_.

How ironic.

I singled out her vibrantly beating heart and smiled. That was the loveliest sound in the entire world. I was relieved I had grown so accustomed to feeding on animal blood because Isabella's blood sang to me so greatly - it had for years - and it had taken me some time not to let it affect my resolve.

Slinging her backpack on, she began walking towards the school without even a single look in my direction. As she passed me, lost in her own world, her eyes to the ground, the buzzing in my chest intensified. She hesitated slightly, her lips forming a small frown as though she was contemplating something, and I silently willed her to look up in my direction. But instead, she shook her head and continued on.

Unlike everyone else in this town, Isabella had been oblivious to the presence of the new kid, his flashy car and the expensive automobiles of his siblings.

She hummed along to the music under her breath as she made her way across the parking lot and I wished more than ever that I could read her thoughts. But as it had always been, her mind provided me with nothing but silence.

A soft, autumn breeze blew her soothing, all too familiar jasmine scent in my direction and instinctively, I breathed deeply. Not for air but for her own personal life-sustaining element she provided me. Just her presence alone was enough to make me feel worthy.

But I was a vampire, and she was a human. Those facts were never far from my mind. As she pulled open the doors and stepped inside, swarms of thoughts from the students around me echoed in my head.

_'Was that new kid looking at Bella Swan?'_

_'Why doesn't he look at _me_ that way? I'm prettier than her!'_

I forced my mind reading channels closed and made my way across the parking lot. My first stop was the principal's office to obtain my schedule. It was torturous entering the building knowing Isabella was somewhere inside but not in my view. However, I had to refrain from following her around the school and instead, wait for a more appropriate opportunity to present itself. Then and only then, could I approach her. I had not waited all of this time only to ruin everything upon our first official introduction. Patience was key. She was much too important for me to be careless at this point.

She was _mine_. She was fated for _me_.

But as much as I wanted her, I still had to remain in control of myself because there was a terrible feeling rumbling in my gut. As gorgeous as Isabella was, it terrified me because she looked _exactly _the same as she did in Alice's vision that I saw almost eighteen years ago, except without any vampire characteristics.

Was it possible that the year of her change was approaching - or worse, was it _this _year?

Armed with this abhorrent speculation, I remained more steadfast than ever to rewrite that part of Isabella's future. Alice may have been correct thus far, but my goal was to alter the rest of her prophecy.

For no matter what my feelings were towards Isabella, I would never take away her life for my own selfish reasons.

Isabella Swan would never become one of us.

**A/N Alright, BPOV comes up next time. Yay! I'm so excited! **

**So you have now noticed that this is indeed A/U. I want you to keep in mind that there will many things not cannon with the books. The love story will of course stay intact but MissAlex and I are introducing new themes,such as special powers for each family member. **

**Here's a recap on the special powers of the Cullen Family. **

**Recap:**

**Carlise - can selectively heal superficial wounds on humans with a simple touch.**

**Esme - can move objects with her mind except those made from pure silver.**

**Rosalie - immunity to the affects of pure silver. (she can move/manipulate it with her mind and touch it without consequence, which all other vampires cannot)**

**Emmett - can selectively erase human memories**

**Jasper - technological genius and he can manipulate human and vampire emotions**

**Alice - has ****visions of the future**

**Edward - ****mind reader**

**So who thinks Edward's denial will backfire on him? **

**Leave me sugar!**

**_______________**________________________________________________________


	5. A Day Unlike All The Rest

**A/N Hello lovelies! **

**Another week and another installment. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you like your first taste of our dear Bella. Next week, since it's safe to say that everyone and their momma is going to see New Moon, Alex and I made the decision to push our update to Monday instead of Saturday or Sunday. **

**MissAlex writes about Edward's broodiness and Larin20 writes Bella and her caffeine deprivation.**

**Thank you Alex for editing my Bella mumbo jumbo**

**Twilight is not ours but Bella's sass is:)**

**Chapter Four: A Day Unlike All The Rest**

_**Bella**_

My truck jerked down Main Street towards Forks High and I let out a frustrated sigh as a new noise emanated from my old engine.

_Great, not another trip to the mechanic._

I didn't want to know how much it was going to cost to fix this money pit I called a truck. Really, I shouldn't complain. It was a very generous gift from my parents. My father, Charlie, and his new friend in town, Billy Black worked hard with Billy's son, Jacob, to fix it up for me. I was very grateful. Or so I kept telling myself.

But the constant backfiring from the tailpipe was getting old and every time the engine stalled at a traffic light, I wanted to get out and kick it. The thing was full of dents already so it wouldn't even be noticeable.

Have you ever tried to jump start your own vehicle? Not easy stuff.

As I continued toward the school, I tallied up in my head how much money I had left in my savings account from working at Newton Outfitters during the month of August after we moved here. It definitely wasn't enough funds to give this truck the TLC it needed.

It was a pretty fun job. Most importantly, it was very easy. Since I was new in town, I didn't know many people so when Mike Newton, the owner's son, forcibly took me under his wing, I did little to protest. I needed the money but it also helped keep me sane.

At the time, I was desperate for social interaction after spending too many nights listening to my father's hunting and fishing stories and my mother's thoughts on whatever celebrity stud muffin she chose to cougar on after reading her _US Weekly_. The prospect of new friends was a welcomed distraction from the boredom that encompassed the small town of Forks, Washington.

I had to admit that Forks was growing on me. Small town life was an acquired taste, but not a bad one. It was similar to dark chocolate. It was bitter at first, not as tantalizing as milk chocolate, but in the end, still pretty sweet.

At first, I dreaded the move. The art of upheaval wasn't something that I was used to. I lived in Seattle my entire life and I loved that city immensely. The culture and art fascinated me and I fit into big city living easily. It was all I knew. But when my father announced that he accepted a new position in the town of Forks – which I had never heard of - I wasn't shocked. My parents had talked about moving for awhile.

I just didn't think that our new destination would be a remote town, three hours away from all of my friends. However, I couldn't let on that the move bothered me. My parents were struggling. The stress of the big city and the crime it yielded wore on my father and his health because he was a police officer. He suffered a heart attack last year which collectively cemented the decision for our move. Small town living equated to lower crime rates, which in turn, equated to a healthier Charlie. Any of my arguments to stay in Seattle seemed trivial when I looked at it that way.

My engine backfired yet again and I jumped in my seat.

_Yep, money pit._

After checking to see if I scared anyone on the sidewalk, I pushed down harder on the accelerator. I didn't want to be late for school. I was already running behind schedule because I overslept yet again. I didn't even have time for breakfast.

Another backfire made me cringe and I felt my savings account emptying with every mile I put on this wreck. It didn't even have FM radio! I lucked out that it, at least, had a cassette player. I wasn't about to spend the money to install a new CD player into this thing, or a USB hookup for my iPod. It wasn't worth the money. Luckily, my mom gave me some of her old cassette tapes that she had accumulated over the years. She had a broad taste in music and I was thankful that she thought it was trendy to get into the Seattle music scene in the late 80's and early 90's. The good stuff. That saved me from listening to endless barrages of Barry Manilow or REO Speedwagon while growing up.

Rummaging through the debris that scattered across the passenger seat, I brushed away fast food napkins and yesterday's workout clothes, and tried to find some decent music. The amount of crap I had in here was a little embarrassing. When it came to my truck, I wasn't the tidiest person. Anywhere else, I was prim and proper, but in this old rickety thing, I let inner my slob shine through. I felt sorry for the poor person that was ever brave enough to hitch a ride with me.

Finally, I found what I was looking for. The blue cassette called to me and I thanked Renee over and over that she decided early on that grudge was cool. She had a huge stockpile of alternative music selections. I opened the case and slipped the tape into the player. A low bass line rumbled in my ears and since the speakers had blown many years ago, a minute whine and rattle almost drowned out the sultry voice of my celebrity crush.

If Eddie Vedder ever decided that a mousy, dark-haired bookworm was his desired woman, then I would be first in line at his doorstep. There was something about those rebel men that I loved. I didn't care how much older he was than me. I always thought of myself as an old soul anyway. But since I was pretty sure that would _never_ happen, I had to get my Vedder fix another way – in the form of a mono sound coming out of my ancient truck every morning.

My morning quickie. Ha!

The fall colors were in the height of their seasonal change and I relished in the autumn display of wild reds, burnt oranges and sun yellows that danced upon the treetops in the wind. I cherished my morning drives. Today though, felt different. There was something in the air that energized me. I felt charged. I assumed it was the result of breathing in the wonderful, crisp scent of the morning dew. It burned under the warm sun which peeked from behind the clouds not as often as I would have liked.

One thing about Forks - sunglasses not required.

The first lyrics of _Better Man_ began and the first person I thought about was Mike Newton and his desperate attempts to woo me. I could definitely find a better man than him. I didn't even give him the time of day romantically because I had no interest in him whatsoever.

Since I was Mike's unofficial baby bird and unintentional love interest, I had an instant clique of friends when I started school. Angela Weber was one of the first people to introduce herself and warn me about Mike's reputation as a ladies' man rather than serial monogamous.

She was my breath of fresh air. We were alike on so many levels and she just _got _me. Even though I had to fend off Mike every Friday when he bombarded me with setting up a date with him for the weekend, I had to admit that I was indebted to him. He was the reason I found such a great friend in Angela.

After Angela, I was introduced to Jessica Stanley, who would best be described as the ears of Forks. She had the gossip on everyone. The three of us girls always ate lunch together and I usually sat in silence while Jessica droned on about who was sleeping with whom or what hideous outfit Lauren Mallory had decided to wear that day.

Angela was always polite and pretended to be interested, while I usually took out my old tattered copy of _Emma_ and read. Lately, the conversation was focused on the reclusive Cullen family who Jessica continually gathered the newest information on. For such a small town, topics like a new family moving into the area were a big thing. I knew that all too well for when I first came here, I was treated like a museum exhibit, with all the gawking and pointing. But for as much information as Jessica had found out, there was still so much we didn't know about the Cullens. They'd only been here a few weeks and they were already infamous.

The Cullen family was a mystery to us all. Rumored handsome Dr. Cullen accepted the position as Chief of Surgery at Forks General in September and brought his wife and adopted teenage children with him. Everyone wondered why he would decide to move here when apparently his resume was very extensive and he'd worked in much more prestigious positions all over the country but I assumed that maybe big city living had taken its toll on him just like it had my dad.

Since rest of the family hadn't ventured into town yet, some thought they didn't exist. I knew that wasn't true because my father had talked to Dr. Cullen on numerous occasions and said the kind doctor boasted about his family all the time. I trusted my father's instincts and if he thought Dr. Cullen was being truthful, I believed him. I was pretty sure that that the doc had heard the town gossip and I hoped it didn't give him an ill opinion of us. I could respect that the Cullen's were a private family; there was no harm in that. I wished when I first moved to this town that I had such anonymity. Still, I was curious about them.

The story was that Dr. Cullen had five adopted children, all the same age – all in their senior year in high school. The doctor and his wife were no more than thirty years old and they were very rich, wealthier than anyone else in Forks. They bought the biggest house in town, deep in the woods, which seemed odd given how young Dr. Cullen was. How did a man so young become so wealthy? I figured he had to be some kind of Doogie Houser, MD prodigy who invested his money wisely or something.

The word around town was that Esme Cullen was just as attractive as her husband. Rumor had it that when she bought her office space for her interior design business, the owner practically gave it away to her because of her enchanting beauty.

Since the Cullens arrived here in September and the children had yet to start at Forks High, everyone assumed they were being home-schooled. No one even knew what their names were. But when Jessica announced that Mrs. Cope mentioned in the office that they were starting school on Halloween, I grew immeasurably curious. I could relate to being the new kid. At least the five of them had each other whereas I had no one when I first arrived at Forks High.

Pulling into the parking lot at school, I parked in my assigned spot. Shutting off the engine, I gathered up my backpack and took out my iPod. I searched through my wake-up playlist, indecisive about what to choose, so instead, I opted for the shuffle option. The first lyrics of _The Perfect Drug_ by _Nine Inch Nails _invaded my ears as I opened door and hopped out of my truck.

Slamming the creaky door, I put on my backpack and closed my eyes, reveling in the refreshing wind blowing gently against my warm face. Today was my most favorite time of year. Halloween. I looked forward to this day every year. Normally, I wasn't the type that went crazy over special occasions, but I loved the spirit of this particular one. It was something deeply-rooted in me since I was a little girl and I had no idea why.

Pulling down on my jacket, I looked towards the ground at my running shoes and dark jeans as I made my way across the parking lot. I threw on a dark blue sweater this morning to complete my outfit because I was running late, so my clothes definitely left something to be desired. But at least with small town living, there wasn't as much pressure to dress up at school like there was in Seattle.

As I approached the building, my tiredness hit even harder. I didn't sleep well and I was in desperate need of a coffee. Unfortunately, since I overslept and ran out of the house quickly, I didn't grab my travel mug. So I texted Angela when I pulled out of my driveway, begging her to stop and pick me up a cup of dark roast.

Keeping my head down, I turned up my iPod and hummed along to the song, enjoying the calm before the inevitable storm. This was my routine every morning as I immersed myself in my music, gearing up for another boring day at school. I didn't get a reply from Angela earlier so I hoped that she received my plea and that she would be waiting by our lockers with a very large Styrofoam cup containing my favorite brew.

As I crossed the middle of the parking lot, a gust of wind blew and suddenly I felt light-headed. It was like I was caught in between a conscious and dream state. I felt warm and cool at the same time, butterflies fluttered in my stomach, and static shock shot through my body.

Pausing for a moment, I shook my head slightly, trying to regain my focus as I looked down at the pavement below. Coolness traveled up my spine and my entire body shivered. It was the strangest feeling, but it wasn't entirely new to me. I had felt it several times before over the years, of this I was sure, but I couldn't remember exactly when or what caused it.

The weird part was that even though I was shivering and my stomach felt like it was tied in knots, I welcomed the sensation. It was oddly comforting and familiar. It was also completely moronic. My excitement over Halloween, combined with my exhaustion was most likely the culprit. Or caffeine deprivation. Yes, that was it - I needed my coffee. I blinked, trying to clear my head, as I continued on. But my mind still felt hazy.

Wow, I was more tired than I thought

At least today had the potential to be interesting with the arrival of the Cullens. The student body had been abuzz the last few days, anticipating their arrival. I was sure that I would hear more than enough about them from Jessica during lunch. If they only had banners and balloons, the welcome mob would be complete.

I smirked to myself, thinking that all of this excitement was probably for nothing. The Cullens would most likely turn out to be the biggest _Dungeon and Dragon_ dorks and everyone would be disappointed. Images of pocket protectors and taped horn-rimmed glasses flashed in my mind. People were making them out to be the second-coming of Christ while I was thinking more Revenge of the Nerds.

I lifted my gaze as I pulled open the doors and stepped inside the school. As I made my way down the hall, I spotted Angela huddled by the senior lockers. As I turned off my iPod and put it in my jacket pocket, I couldn't control the lazy grin that crept upon my face. Picking up my pace, I focused on what she held in her hand. It made me want to worship the ground she walked on.

"Oh my God! I love you!" I squealed, taking one of the cups from her.

"Good morning to you too." She rolled her eyes, pushing her black-rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose. Angela was beautiful with long black hair and olive skin. I greatly envied her relaxed, friendly demeanor. Everything came so naturally for her whereas I could be socially awkward at times. She let everything roll off her shoulders while I was a worrier.

Yawning, I removed the lid off my cup and blew the steam away.

"I take it you didn't sleep well again last night?" she asked.

Angela knew me too well. Even though we only met just over two months ago, we already acted like we'd been best friends for years.

I stifled another yawn. "Barely a wink," I replied as I took a tentative sip of my coffee, testing the temperature. "For some reason I'm just excited today. I don't know why. I guess it's a combination of Halloween and Mike's party tonight."

"It's just another day to me," she sighed as we opened our lockers, set down our coffees on the top shelf and removed our jackets. "And don't get too excited about tonight. It's just going to be one big debauchery of booze, loud music and raging hormones. The only difference is that instead of wearing regular clothes, we get to dress up and act out our greatest _fantasies_." She rolled her eyes at the word _fantasies._

"Ben?" I asked.

"Yup, Ben," she groaned as we grabbed our coffees and closed our lockers, on our way to first period. "Why does _every_ nerdy teenage boy have a thing for Princess Lea?! Pulling off those buns is _not _easy and I had to go to _three_ different stores in Port Angeles to find the costume. Apparently, he's not the only one with that fantasy. Every store I visited ran out of the bun/wig thing. So I have no choice but to try and do it with my own hair." She stopped by the door to our Biology class and turned to me. "Will you help me tonight?" she begged.

"Sure," I smiled. "We can get ready at my house and I'll fix dinner before we head over to Mike's."

Her eyes widened and she jumped up and down slightly, mindful of the coffee in her hand. "Thanks, you're the best, Bella!"

"I know." I smirked as I nudged her arm.

Mike Newton was already sitting down as we walked to our lab benches. He and Angela were lab partners and I sat in front of them by myself. I lucked out in the beginning of the year when it turned out that I was the odd-numbered student. I didn't mind working by myself, in fact, I preferred it. I could work at my own pace and I didn't have to rely on someone else when the projects were assigned.

I usually liked to get things done quickly instead of waiting until the last moment, so when the teacher asked me if I wanted to join Angela and Mike, I politely declined. I had heard enough from Angela about Mike bailing on the last group assignment, to stand by my decision. Apparently, he did that all the time in previous years too. Instead of contributing anything, he preferred to play video games with Tyler Crowley.

Taking my seat at my lab bench, I placed my backpack on the ground, my coffee on the table, and turned around on my stool to face Angela and Mike. Mr. Banner was routinely late on Friday mornings so it wasn't unusual for us to have ten minutes of free time before he waltzed into the room.

"Hey Bella, you wanna come over and help me set up for my party tonight?" Mike asked with a waggle of his eyebrows.

_Ugh, gross._

"Um, I can't. My mom and dad asked me to help them hand out candy before the party." He didn't look convinced. "And Angela is coming over," I added quickly.

There was no way I would ever subject myself to being alone in the same room with Mike.

"Bella, I don't have to come over to your house tonight if you_ really _want to help Mike out," Angela teased. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Yeah, Bella, come on. It will be fun." Mike smirked.

I could just imagine what _fun_ times he had planned for me.

I flashed a fake smile and batted my eyelashes, "Sorry, Mike," I purred. "But I told Angela here that I would wax her upper lip for her before the party. You're getting a little fuzzy, aren't you, Angie?" Her eyes grew wide.

_Two can play this game._

Mike whipped his head around so fast that Angela barely had enough time to cover her mouth and nose with her hand. "Shut up, I don't wax!" she cried, her voice muffled.

Mike reached for Angela's hand.

"Hey you, stop that!" she ordered him as she uncovered her mouth. "I'm _not_ fuzzy!"

"Wait, I think I see something..." Mike chuckled, inspecting her face closely.

Angela slapped Mike's hand away and he and I laughed harder as Angela turned bright red. When Tyler entered the room, Mike turned around to talk to him, giving Angela an opportune time to give me a death glare.

"Sorry. Payback," I whispered, holding back a giggle. Angela stuck her tongue out and dug into her purse, pulling out her compact. I smiled widely as she checked her reflection in the mirror. Unzipping my backpack, I pulled out my notebook, textbook, and everything else I needed for this class and placed them on the table.

It was then I felt it.

Warm. Cold. Butterflies. Static Shock.

It surged through my body and I felt light-headed again as euphoria and peacefulness washed over me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I sat up straighter on my stool as a million goosebumps ghosted across my skin.

Rubbing my arms up and down with my hands, trying to warm up, I shivered. "Is there a window open in here or something?" I asked, glancing at the row of windows along the side wall. My eyebrows furrowed. They all appeared closed and even the ceiling fans were off.

"Hey, are you cold?" I asked Angela, who still hadn't come up from her mirror. She looked up and shut her compact with a dazed look on her face, and then her eyes widened slightly as she looked over my shoulder.

"Hello?" I waved my hand in front of her face, noticing she shook slightly.

_Must be the caffeine_.

Angela's mouth dropped open and she blinked like twenty times in one second.

"Hey, I asked you a question. Are you cold?" I repeated.

"Uh…" she stammered, her eyes fixated behind me. "N-no…definitely _not_ cold. Not since my eyes landed on _that_."

"What on _Earth_ are you talking about?"

"Bella," she hissed. "For the love of Pete, turn your ass around and look at what just walked into the room.

I turned around and nearly fell out of my chair. If I thought I felt light-headed before, it was_ nothing_ compared to how I felt right now. I felt like I could float away, but the intense way in which he started at me, like I was the only one in the room, had me hypnotized and paralyzed in my seat, anchoring me down. He captured me from the moment our eyes locked and I never wanted him to let me go.

If this gorgeous man was any indication of what the rest of them looked like, then the Cullen kids were definitely _not _D&D dorks.

**So who do you think walked into the room. Eric Yorkie right?!! HAHA! So please tell me how you like this Bella. Alex and I are really trying for compatible contrast between Edward and Bella. Bella is modern while Edward is not...you get the drift.**

**Also if you like to hear more Every October, Treading Water, or general fic info (and little bit of crassness from me-okay a lot of crassness) follow me on Twitter, Larin20**

**Leave me sugar!**


	6. A Little More or Less Than Ordinary

**A/N Okay Lovelies! Today is a busy day for updates for me!**

**I updated Treading Water and now Every October! Thanks to MissAlex for editing this chapter and making it perfect!!**

**  
MissAlex writes Edward and his Armani and Larin20 write Bella and her drool!**

**Chapter Five: A Little More or Less Than Ordinary**

_**Bella**_

Time seemed to have stopped and everything moved in slow motion around me. The only thing that sped up was my heartbeat, pumping an undercurrent of excitement and fascination through my veins. All I could see clearly was the mystery guy standing at the front of the class. He took my breath away.

He was beautiful, if a guy could be called that. Model pretty, yet ruggedly handsome too, with a chiseled jaw line and lean cheekbones that protruded under his pale flesh. He had a masculine face that artists had been trying to capture in clay and marble for centuries, but no work of art could ever hold a candle to him - not by a long shot. And to my absolutely shock, he was staring at _me_. Me! With my messy hair, sloppy clothing and average looks.

My heart pounded in my chest and my face grew hot. Someone kicked my chair leg but I just couldn't break my gaze from him - one of the mysterious Cullen kids who was more of an enigma now than when I never knew what any of them looked like.

"He's so hot," someone whispered. But I didn't dare break my stare to see who. I heard Tyler and Mike make some sarcastic comment but their voices sounded a million miles away. I was too transfixed by this brilliant looking boy. I had never felt such a connection to another human being in my entire life, let alone someone I didn't know, who stood clear across the room from me. For all I knew, he had chronic halitosis or snorted like a pig when he laughed.

Who was I kidding? The guy looked damn near God-like and if halitosis was his only problem then I would gladly carry around a tin of Altoids on a regular basis.

He wore stylish, dark denim, fitted jeans with dark brown boots, and looked like he'd just stepped off a runway in Europe. His black t-shirt was untucked and settled loosely around his midsection and his lean bicep muscles bulged underneath the fabric, mesmerizing me. His skin looked very pale in contrast to his dark clothing but it definitely worked for him. In fact, he was paler than anyone I'd ever seen and that said a lot, considering that I wasn't exactly tanned myself. I figured that was because he was homeschooled. Maybe he never got out much.

A leather messenger bag was slung over his right shoulder and a dark blue wool jacket hung from one hand. He shifted on his feet and his shirt stretched over his firm pectoral muscles, outlined faintly under the fabric. Running his hand through his chaotic auburn hair, he continued studying me with a stoic expression on his gorgeous face. Under the fluorescent lights, the brown and red facets of his locks shone and I could only imagine what effect pure sunlight had on them.

Normally, such a hairstyle would be considered unkempt, but he pulled it off perfectly, as though every strand had been carefully calculated to fall exactly how it did. The movement of his arm caused his shirt to rise slightly, revealing a black leather belt and low hung jeans. But that's not what captured my attention. It was my glimpse of his ripped stomach that sent my heart fluttering even faster. His muscle definition was staggering and extremely noticeable even with just one glimpse, causing my breath catch in my throat. His hip bones protruded above the waistband of his jeans, making my mouth water and I quickly closed my jaw, embarrassed that I was gaping at him.

My eyes were once again drawn to his face. His lips were perfectly shaped, the lower one slightly plumper than the top, just enough to send my senses into a frenzy. I wondered what it would be like to taste such smooth, tantalizing perfection. Although his stare was intense, I bet his kisses were soft and tender.

Scanning his body one last time, I gathered enough courage to lock my eyes with his again. Even from this distance I could tell they were remarkable, piercing. The crease between his eyebrows deepened like he was thinking too hard or annoyed and I cursed myself for staring at him this way. He must've thought I was crazy. Yet at the same time, he didn't look away either.

Now, I was a level-headed girl. I got good grades, respected my parents, and I always came home in time for my curfew. But one look at this guy and I wanted to throw all my years of good deeds and model behavior out the window. What was it about him that made me feel this way?

Blushing, I glanced around the classroom and noticed that the other girls were also gaping. But he paid them no attention whatsoever. He stood still – almost too still – uncomfortably still. Like David, with his clothes on. It was almost as though he wasn't breathing. But upon further inspection, I saw his chest rise and fall slightly. I couldn't believe it. He was calm, meanwhile, I felt as though I'd run a marathon. I chastised myself for ever thinking that maybe he felt the connection that I did. Of course he didn't. He was perfection while I was...well, _not_.

The heat surging throughout my body was too much to bear and I diverted my eyes, pretending to be occupied by my coffee cup. But even with my fake distraction, my face would not cool down and I still felt the intensity of his eyes on me. I wanted to just disappear. He probably got looks like this from everyone. For all I knew, he got off on making girls squirm. I bet he was a regular Casanova. Yeah, that had to be it. He was a pro, that's why I was fawning over him.

But then why did I feel like he was looking at me as though I was the only girl on the entire planet?

Casually, I glanced at him again. My heart stopped and my chest tingled.

"Bella," Angela hissed behind me.

_Turn around!_ I begged myself to no avail.

I couldn't get over this guy. My connection to him was so deep it was like I'd known him my entire life. But that was ridiculous. I would've remembered such a remarkable guy if I'd seen him before. This was the type of guy that only existed in a girl's imagination. Maybe that was it. I'd seen him before because he was a personification of every male fantasy I'd ever had, fantasies that never in my wildest dreams did I ever think could exist in real life. Until now.

Yeah, that had to be it...

"Good Morning, class! And Happy Halloween to you all," Mr Banner's jovial voice made my head snap in the direction of the door. Immediately, my mind taunted me to look back at the new guy, who still had yet to move from his position at the front of the classroom, but I had to save whatever dignity I had left. So, instead, I forced myself to focus on the grinning teacher.

Mr. Banner spotted the new student right away and his smile grew even larger as he walked towards him. My mystery guy finally looked away from me, fixing his gaze on the teacher as he took a small slip of paper from his long, elegant fingers and scanned the type.

"Ah, I see we have a new student. It's a nice day to start at a new school, wouldn't you say?" Mr. Banner winked but the boy simply nodded and returned his gaze back to me with a slight frown marring his incredible face. My heart pounded against my rib cage stronger than ever, causing a tremor to blaze through my veins and suddenly I felt extremely self-conscious. Was he analysing me like I was him? If that was the case, he certainly wouldn't be using words like _gorgeous_ and _perfect_. I wished I could run and hide. Why today, out of all days, did I have to look like crap? I could've at least brushed my hair properly or something.

Mr. Banner folded the paper neatly and walked behind his desk, setting his briefcase down on the tabletop. "So sir, would you like to introduce yourself or shall I make the introductions?"

The new guy crossed his strong arms over his chest, his jacket still dangling from one hand, and glanced between Mr. Banner and the rest of the class. Surprisingly, he exerted such calmness, stressing even further how ridiculous I was for getting all worked up over him when he obviously didn't feel the same way.

"Cullen, Edward Cullen, sir," he spoke quietly, yet with a commanding tone. His voice...ah, his voice was _magical._ His simple introduction cast a spell over me with each meticulously pronounced syllable and his name echoed in my ears, sweetly, melodically, would be a wonderful singer. I wondered if he played an instrument or maybe his family had some sort of Partridge Family band.

_Oh, wow, I was truly losing it._

Mike scoffed behind me. "What, did he come to school as James Bond for Halloween? _I'm Cullen, Edward Cullen_. Shaken, not stirred," he mocked, eliciting a few snickers from my fellow classmates.

My blood boiled. I knew exactly how intimidating it was to be the new kid in school and I despised Newton for trying to make a spectacle out of him on his first day - and only a few minutes after entering his first class, no less.

"Shut up or I'll call you Pussy Galore!" I hissed over my shoulder, glaring at him.

Mike opened his mouth to retort but before he could get a word out, someone at the other end of the room spoke first.

"I bet the new kid's Aston Martin is bigger than yours!"

_Aston Martin? As in the car?_

What seventeen year old guy had a freakin' Aston Martin?!

Mike's eyes narrowed. He looked really mad but I wasn't about to let him or anyone else make fun of this new boy. Angela looked at me wide-eyed, probably thinking I'd gone crazy since I never usually spoke like this, but I just shrugged my shoulders.

I turned back to Edward, expecting him to be flushed with embarrassment, but he looked as calm, cool and collected as ever. I was redder than he was! He didn't blush - his ears weren't red. Nothing. Maybe he had poor circulation. I wished I had that problem. My circulation was _too_ good.

His intense stare penetrated me and I lowered my head, grabbing a pen and drawing circles on my notebook, trying desperately to distract myself. But I still couldn't stop myself from glancing up at him.

"Well, everyone, let's welcome Edward," Mr. Banner exclaimed. He gave Edward a pat on the back and his eyes grew wide. Shaking his hand out, the teacher chuckled. "My, my. Aren't you a strong fellow?!"

Edward didn't flinch or even look at him. He just stared at me. But even though I knew it should make me uncomfortable like it did just a few minutes ago, it no longer did. In fact, now, I didn't _want_ him to look away.

Never in my life had I had so many conflicting emotions and feelings running through me in such a short period of time. What was _with _this guy?!

"Edward, the only seat left is right over there by Miss Swan," My Banner pointed to me. "You two can be lab partners since she doesn't have one."

_Oh my God, this isn't happening!_

My eyes widened from utter shock and I straightened my posture as though a jolt of electricity shot through my system. It was a bigger wakeup call than any amount of caffeine could ever give me. I looked down at my beverage, which was no longer steaming, and tried to regain my composure.

Lab partners? The new guy - _Edward Cullen_ - was going to be my lab partner? I couldn't even think straight when he was standing across the room and now I was expected to sit beside him and put a coherent sentence together?! I was in serious trouble. More than likely, I'd have to explain my behaviour just now. There was no way he thought I was normal and it was crucial for me to redeem myself.

Edward showed no reaction. He just nodded slightly and began a slow prowl past the lab benches towards me. The rest of the class erupted into conversation but I remained silent. The way Edward moved infatuated me. He was agile like a jungle cat, his movements full of masculine grace and his stare – oh my God, his stare melted me from the inside out.

Yup, I was in _serious_ trouble.

He was still looking at me as he adjusted his messenger bag on his shoulder and brought his jacket to his other hand. As I studied him, I didn't even realize that he reached my table. I looked up in awe as he towered over me. His eyes were unlike anything I'd ever seen. They had captivated me from afar but now that he was so close to me, I was entranced by them. They were dark gold, fringed by thick, inky black eyelashes, a color so intriguing and unique, and at the same time, hauntingly familiar.

He cleared his throat and smirked, snapping me out of my trance. I gave him a confused look and he jutted his chin towards the tabletop. I looked to my left, embarrassed by what I saw. Apparently, I was a table hog because my books were scattered the entire length of the lab table. It was almost as worse as the inside of my car. Muttering an apology under my breath, I shoved my stuff into a neat pile and moved to the next stool over, allowing Edward to have the aisle seat.

I kept my eyes to the shiny black tabletop. I was afraid that he would still be staring, and I didn't want to humiliate myself further. I already felt like a fan-girl and the butterflies were stronger than ever now with his close proximity. And dammit, my cheeks were still on fire. I didn't trust myself not to scare him away. Actually, I was surprised that he didn't object to Mr. Banner's instruction to be my lab partner in the first place.

I sensed him, rather than heard him, slide into the seat next to me. As he sat down and placed his jacket on the table, I was swarmed by the loveliest scent. I inhaled sharply, trying to figure out what fragrance he wore. Or maybe it was his shampoo or aftershave? It definitely didn't smell like any kind cologne I'd ever smelled before. But then again, I wasn't exactly a connoisseur when it came to guy smells. My dad wore Old Spice like it was the only scent out there and Mike liked to drench himself in Calvin Klein. Edward's scent was more earthy and sweet, and it was just the right potency – not too strong. Perfect, actually.

Big surprise.

Was there anything about this guy that _wasn't _perfect?

His arm grazed my own as he sat down and immediately all of my hairs stood on end. His skin was ice cold. I jumped in my chair as goose bumps ghosted across my skin, and he winced, quickly moving his arm away.

As soon as he withdrew his contact, I felt an ache in my chest. I wanted to apologize for my rudeness but my body's further reaction to his simple touch left me speechless.

Warm, cold, butterflies, static shock.

They were feelings I knew all too well by now.

I felt another swift kick to the back of my stool but I ignored it. Angela laughed amongst the commotion in the classroom and I silently cursed her for making fun of the situation. She could obviously tell how much I was being affected by Edward and her teasing wasn't helping. She must've been as surprised as I was by my uncharacteristic behaviour towards him.

This new kid was going to make it extremely hard for me to concentrate from now on.

Edward placed his messenger bag on top of the lab table and took out paper and a pen. Setting the bag back on the floor, I watched out of the corner of my eye as he folded his hands on top of his notebook, waiting patiently for Mr. Banner to begin.

I wanted to say something but I couldn't think of anything that would be a good conversation starter. But he wasn't exactly making an effort either, so maybe he didn't want to talk to me.

Trying to be as nonchalant as possible, I watched as he played with his pen between his fingers and tapped a soft rhythm on the desk. His hands looked clean and delicate, yet very manly, like they could work any girl into a mound of putty with just a simple touch. I could only imagine how they would feel on me.

Hooking my ankles around the legs of the stool, for the first time ever, I hoped that Mr. Banner would hurry up and start teaching. Slowly, my coffee was pushed in front of me and I cringed, embarrassed by my messy, lab bench hogging habit that I had failed to rectify completely. I couldn't believe I'd left it on Edward's side of the table.

"Uh, t-thank you," I stammered under my breath.

It was then he spoke.

"Hello, my name is Edward."

And oh my God, he sounded even better up close.

Gathering all of the courage I could muster, I looked at him and smiled. "Hey."

_Hey?_

That's all I could say to him? How idiotic. I wanted to hit myself in the head for my lack of sophisticated response. I felt another swift kick to the back of my stool and I whipped my head around, giving Angela a warning look to cut it out. Her eyes widened and I turned to face the front again.

"Hey." Edward responded. I looked at him and to my great shock, he was smiling. Sparkling pearly whites, directed solely at _me_. If I wasn't already sitting down, I would've fallen to the floor.

Not only was his smile dazzling, but his skin was flawless. There wasn't even a hint of facial hair anywhere to be seen. But it didn't make him look young. Instead, he looked very mature.

"Hey," I whispered, captivated by his tongue as it darted out of his mouth and grazed across his lower lip.

_Oh no, did I just say it _again_?! _

I cringed inwardly.

_Yup, I did. _

I couldn't spit out anything wiser, more inviting than a stupid three letter word?! I knew something was off with me when I woke up late today and now it was officially confirmed. I left my brain back at home or something. This was definitely way beyond caffeine deprivation.

I racked my brain, trying to come up with something better and I said the first thing that popped into my head.

"So, I hear you were homeschooled and that your mom is an interior designer. My dad, Charlie, has met your dad at the hospital. He's the head of Surgery there, right? How do you like Forks? It's not too boring for you, is it? I know when I first moved to town back in August, I thought I would die of boredom, but it's growing on me. Do you have any hobbies? You have brothers and sisters that go here, too, right? I'm an only child and growing up I always wished that I had a brother or sister. You don't like Dungeons and Dragons, do you? Oh, and I really like your jacket - North Face?"

I inhaled sharply, desperate to recoup the oxygen that I just lost making an even bigger fool out of myself. I should've just stuck to one word sentences. But I couldn't help it. I was nervous and the words spilled out of me so quickly that I couldn't stop myself. I waited for the backlash but instead, his expression remained indifferent and his stare, intense.

Then, suddenly, his mouth twitched up at the sides and he chuckled, his gold eyes sparkling.

"Well, let me see. I was not home-schooled, but rather, tutored for the duration of September and October until we were able to enrol here at Forks High. Before that I always attended regular schools. My mother, Esme, is in fact, a very talented interior designer. My father, Carlisle, _has _mentioned your father, Charlie, many times. And yes, he is the head of the Surgical Department at Forks General Hospital. So far, I like this town very much. It is definitely a change from the big cities I am used to living in but I find that I am adjusting quite nicely. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking in the woods, reading and composing music on my piano or guitar."

_He's a musician too? Ugh, of course, he is. Because he wasn't perfect enough already..._

"I have two brothers, Emmett and Jasper and two sisters, Alice and Rosalie," he continued. "We were adopted so we are all seniors. I cannot say that I have ever played Dungeons and Dragons. And no, it is not North Face, it is Armani."

I was stunned. He answered every question I asked and he formed his words like he was royalty. But not in a stuck up way. His speech was formal, polite, and he sounded much more mature than any of the other guys around here. Or any guy I'd ever talked to, for that matter. His reply rolled off his tongue without any hesitation and the confidence he exuded made him even more irresistible.

"Uh, it's nice to meet you," I whispered.

"And you, as well, Isabella," he replied, his eyes boring into mine.

Biting my lower lip, I lowered my gaze as my blush deepened. No one ever called me that. My family and all of my friends always called me Bella. Normally, I corrected people when they called me Isabella, but him – no way. My full name sounded heavenly spilling from those tempting lips of his.

"Alright, settle down," Mr. Banner announced.

_Figures._

The teacher had to start class now when I no longer wished he would.

I forced myself to look towards the front of the room as he continued. "Since we've had a late start today, we will head straight into the short review for Monday's quiz. Miss Swan, can you inform Mr. Cullen of how we do things around here? And please provide him with the notes from this week so he won't be lost come test time."

I gulped. "Ah, s-sure...um, yes."

What was _with_ me today?!

Turning to Edward, I whispered, "We always have a review every Friday of the content we covered throughout the week and then we get quizzed on that material on Monday. I can make copies of my notes, if you like. Then you can take them home and study this weekend."

"I would greatly appreciate that, thank you. But only if it is not too much trouble," Edward replied, looking genuinely concerned.

"No, it's fine," I dismissed his worry with a wave of my hand. "I can make copies at lunch and slip them into your locker. What's your locker number?"

"Number 157. Close to the art room."

My eyes lit up. "Really?! Mine's 152. We're practically neighbors!"

_Whoa, a little too much enthusiasm there, Bella._

"Yes, I guess you can say that," he smirked, his eyes smoldering into mine. "Thank you. Isabella."

_There he goes with that Isabella thing again. Be. Still. My. Heart._

"Y-you're welcome." My face flushed again and I turned away. I heard him chuckle softly as Mr. Banner began lecture.

The next fifty minutes flew by and I didn't learn much Biology. My mind was elsewhere. Put it this way - if Monday's test was on the physical components of Edward Cullen, I would get one hundred percent. I really did try to keep my thoughts off of him but his close proximity made it difficult to concentrate.

He jotted down notes, paying attention to everything Mr. Banner said, and he even correctly answered a few questions voluntarily, which answered _my_ question of whether or not he was distracted by me as much as I was by him.

If Mr. Banner asked me a question, there was no way I would've even known what topic it was related to. That's how awestruck I was by Edward. It was obvious that he was extremely smart - yet another thing to add to the list. Even his handwriting was perfect and when he flipped the pages of his notebook, I was so captivated as though I'd never seen someone do that before.

It was going to be a long and interesting year.

The bell rang and stools scraped along the linoleum floor as the rest of the class started to get up to leave. Meanwhile, I took my time gathering my stuff, hoping that Edward would talk to me again. I didn't have to wait long.

As he got up, he turned to me. "It was a pleasure meeting you and I hope to see you around. And thank you for the notes, Isabella."

"No problem, that's what lab partners do," I laughed nervously, feeling absolutely foolish.

He pulled his messenger bag over his shoulder, grabbed his jacket off the table, and I watched him weave through the other students to the door. Whispers erupted around him as everyone else watched him exit the classroom as well. It wasn't until he and most of my classmates were gone that I bent over, pressing my forehead to the cool, hard lab table.

"I'm an idiot," I complained softly to myself.

"What the hell was that?" Angela asked, walking up behind me.

I lifted my head slowly, wiping my hand down my face. "Beats the hell out of me."

Angela dug through her bag and handed me a tissue.

"What's this for?" I asked, holding the flimsy material between my thumb and forefinger.

"To clean up your drool," she laughed. "Can we switch lab partners? I mean, holy hotness, Batman! Edward is one piece of man meat!"

"Tell me about it," I mumbled. Then my eyes widened. "Wait, I didn't drool, did I?"

"No, but you might as well have. You should have seen yourself, Bella."

Standing up, I groaned and slung my backpack over one shoulder. I grabbed my now-cold cup of coffee, shuffled towards the door, and dropped it into the garbage can before Angela and I walked out of Mr. Banner's class into the sea of students in the hallway.

My eyes scanned the corridor, but there was no sign of Edward.

"So how bad was I?" I asked Angela as we pushed our way through the crowd.

"Well, to make you feel better, you weren't the only one gawking at him."

"I wasn't gawking!" I protested.

"Uh huh, whatever," she giggled. "Anyway, he wasn't much better. He never took his eyes off of you."

"Probably because he was taking pity on me. I mean, he's stuck as my lab partner so he's gotta at least try and be nice to me."

Angela shook her head. "No way. He stared at you the moment he entered the room, before he even knew you were his partner."

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I'm not special and he is well...amazing. He could have his pick of any girl in this school. He's just friendly, that's all."

"Don't discount yourself like that. You never know..."

Even though I highly doubted it, I couldn't help but hope she was right. I smiled at her, silently thanking her for being so supportive, even if her suggestion was farfetched.

"You've fallen for him," she teased.

"Fallen for him?" I scoffed. "I don't even know him. He could be a cold-blooded killer for all we know!"

"Yeah, and he's killing you already with his hotness and charisma!" she laughed.

"Ha. Ha.' I rolled my eyes.

"Well, I may have only known you since August, but I've never seen you act this way before. I kicked your chair repeatedly throughout that class and you barely acknowledged me."

I bit my bottom lip. "You're right, he definitely has me intrigued. I'm so pathetic, Angela! This is so not me. Why this one? Why am I a bumbling idiot with a permanent blush when he's around?"

"Edward's sexy, for one thing." She counted on her fingers. "He dresses well, he's kind of mysterious, you said he's nice...and well, did I mention that he's damn sexy? You're only human, Bella. It had to happen sooner or later. You've been rejecting Mike for so long that your ovaries were bound to revolt!" She laughed loudly, causing the people around us to stare as we continued making our way down the hall.

"Will you keep your voice down?" I hissed, pulling her closer to me. "And please, no matter what, don't use his name!"

Rolling her eyes, she placed her hand over her heart. "Just think - poor Mike Newton! He's going to be so crushed when he realizes that he's been replaced by the new kid. It will be a huge blow to his ego."

"Mike is not being replaced," I exclaimed. "There was never anything between us to begin with."

"I'm sure Jessica will be happy to hear that," she giggled.

"Ha! She can have him. New kid or no new kid. I'm fine on my own. I _like_ being single. I'm an independent woman."

"Yes, you are. But are you telling me that if a certain new kid showed up at the party tonight, you wouldn't get all excited, _Isabella_?"

_The party!_

My pulse quickened immediately. "Angela, do you think he's going?"

She smirked. "You like being single, huh? You're so delusional."

"Am not!"

"You have a crush," Angela taunted in a singsong voice.

"Oh, shut up."

She threw her head back and laughed.

"Hey, wait a minute." I stopped her in the hall. "Did you just call me Isabella?"

"Yeah, I was teasing you because that's what our hot newcomer called you."

I chewed on the inside of my cheek. "Did Mr. Banner call me that?"

Her eyebrows furrowed together. "I don't know, I guess so."

"That's funny, I can't recall..."

"Well, how else would he have known your name? And all of your friends call you Bella so it must've been Banner that called you that."

I shrugged. "Yeah, you're right. And stupid me, I forgot to introduce myself when he did. I'm just so tired, my brain isn't working properly. This day has been such a mess and it's not even noon yet!"

She placed her hand on my forearm. "Don't worry. You have the whole year to redeem yourself."

"If I haven't done enough damage already," I sighed.

The warning bell rang, signaling that we had five minutes until the start of second period.

Angela left me standing in the hall as she began making her way to her next class. "I'm _so_ telling Jessica about this during lunch. She. Will. Die!"

"No. You. Will. Not!" I shouted back at her.

"Take back the fuzzy lip stuff and all is forgiven," she yelled over her shoulder.

I narrowed my eyes, "Fine, you don't wax your lip....YOU SHAVE!" I hollered as loud as I could. Knowing Angela, she would never keep her mouth shut anyway. When she and Jessica were together, they told each other everything. I blew Angela a kiss as her mouth dropped open and her eyes darted around the hall.

Flashing an evil smile, I gave her a small wave and turned on my heel towards my second period class. I was too stubborn for my own good and I knew I was going to get it now.

For the first time ever though, I was actually looking forward to Jessica's lunchtime gossip. If there was any new information on the Cullens, she would have it.

Throughout my second class, which unfortunately, Edward wasn't in, I daydreamed about him and his perfect, well, everything. And once again, I didn't pay attention to the teacher. All I could think about was that hopefully he was in the cafeteria during lunch or with any luck, in one of my afternoon classes. Although, the latter probably wasn't the best thing if I wanted to pass this semester.

I seriously had to cut this out if I expected to graduate in the spring.

**Leave me sugar! **

**________________**______________________________________________________________


	7. Complications

**A/N Hello Lovlies! Another week and another installment:)**

**Thank you for Mike for editing! Alex and Mike celebrated their one year this past weekend. Congrats bb's!**

**I copied this from Alex:**

******"Normally, we will not be overlapping point of views in this story. However, considering that the last chapter was their first 'official' meeting, we found it imperative to write the encounter from Edward's perspective. I can assure you that you will not find this chapter repetitive or boring for it offers quite an interesting look into Edward's thoughts, which are quite different from Bella's. I am sure you will all enjoy it very much. At least, I hope so :) "**

**Ya, what she said! **

**MissAlex owns all of Edward and his swooniness and Larin20 still owns Bella's blush.**

**Twilight isn't ours.**

Chapter Six: Complications

_**Edward**_

My plan to act completely nonchalant in Isabella's presence shattered the moment I stepped into Biology and saw her sitting by herself at a lab bench. I could not help it. Years of patience and self-control caught up with me, and I rebelled by refusing to tear my gaze from hers. During my visit to the main office to retrieve my schedule, I could not help but hope Isabella would be in at least one of my classes. Now, not five minutes later, I stood before her.

It felt absolutely wonderful to look into her eyes and for the first time in years, see her staring back at me. For so long I remained in the shadows, a silent observer admiring her from afar, hoping for just one glance, and now, she finally knew who I was and I was awarded with much more than just a fleeting look. I did not care what the others thought. This was our moment.

The externalized thoughts in the room immediately ceased upon my entry, while their internal ones ran rampant, and I forced my mind to shut down so I could concentrate on the only human that mattered to me in the entire world.

The blood rushed to her face, giving her complexion an adorable blush, and out of the thirty-five students in the classroom, I focused on her heart beat alone. It was a strong, vibrant, and healthy tempo – the steady rhythm by which my entire existence was now based. She was so stunning that I had to remember to pretend to breathe. All eyes were on me, not just hers and I did not want to draw suspicion.

Lust rolled off of the rest of the females in waves so it was challenging for me to single out Isabella's reaction to me, but I would not be deterred, and I continued my silent exploration. Testosterone radiated from the males as they tried to assert their masculinity, but their thoughts confirmed what was already obvious given the stench of envy racing through their veins.

I consciously shifted on my feet and ran my hand through my hair so I would not look too still and I sensed Isabella's change in pulse with every moment I made, indicating that she, too, felt intrigued. But in what way? Was it simply because I was newly enrolled here at Forks High or because she was attracted to what she saw? Or was it more? I did not want her to be fascinated with me solely for superficial reasons. Extreme beauty was a standard vampire characteristic because of our species' origins which relied on covetousness and charm to lure unsuspecting victims. But I never believed that my physical appearance defined who I was.

Vampire appearance was purposely deceiving. We looked inviting and harmless, traits that vampires naturally did not possess. Regardless of how much our breed had evolved over the centuries, each one of us still harbored deadly instincts. In recent decades, we existed harmoniously with humans but it was not always this way. This meant that those other noxious characteristics were not gone completely, simply lying dormant. It was how we dealt with them on a daily basis that established what kind of vampires we were. Carlisle had been a vampire for over two hundred years and the tales he told me from his early years were horrific.

There was a time, many centuries ago, when vampires terrorized the Earth, killing humans for sport because of restlessness and the most addictive element of them all – power. Their killings were masked by plagues and war, when so many humans were dying anyway, no one took notice of the specifics as to how. It was so common that it was projected that in a few thousand years, humans would not be able to procreate fast enough to counterbalance the fatalities brought upon their species by our kind and they would eventually become extinct.

As a result, the Volturi government was established and under Aro's leadership, they put an end to the killings. Current vampire laws stated that it was not illegal to utilize humans for food because the blood loss rendered the experience forgettable to them, as though it never occurred, but taking their lives afterwards was strictly forbidden. Transformations did not occur unless venom was injected into the human's bloodstream and because that process was very controllable, mistakes were never made. It had to be a conscious decision by the vampire to change a human into one of them. Knowing how cruel and ruthless the Volturi were, I always found it puzzling as to why they stepped in to save the human race. They seemed more like the types to aspire for global domination. There were many things about that group of vampires I would never understand.

Carlisle had once been a murderous vampire when he was left to survive on his own after his change and it was his disgust with himself afterwards that made him re-evaluate his ideals and turn to animal blood as a substitute. I believed that his work as a physician was his way of trying to make up for all of the human lives he had taken in his early years. It was difficult to see him as anything other than compassionate because the Carlisle I had always known was nothing close to a monster. I admired him greatly for his drastic turnaround and he set a remarkable example for others, such as me and the rest of our coven, proving that it was possible to exist without preying upon humans.

As Isabella's eyes remained locked with mine, I wished to appeal to her in ways no other male ever had or ever would. Selfishly, regardless of my plan to be nothing more than her friend, I wanted her to single me out.

As usual, her silent mind provided me no additional information and I felt frustrated. I fought with my handicap, commanding my mind to extract the information from her I so desperately craved, but the effort became tiresome. So I relented to the fact that I would not know anything further until we spoke.

The thoughts of the teacher entered my mind before he even made it to the door.

"Good morning, class! And Happy Halloween to you all," he announced upon his arrival.

The student's internal groans and comments told me his name was Mr. Banner. Isabella jumped slightly and looked toward the doorway and I followed her gaze, disappointed that this older male had diverted her attention. When he spotted me, he flashed a welcoming smile.

"Ah, I see we have a new student. It's a nice day to start at a new school, wouldn't you say?"

In keeping with my aversion to small talk, I simply nodded at him. He took my attendance slip from my hand and I used that as my opportunity to return my gaze to Isabella.

As the teacher walked to his desk, I heard his emotionally charged thoughts which were much too strong to ignore. Although he was a smart male when it came to science, his thoughts were otherwise overrun with simplicity and he was terribly insecure in his personal life. His terminally ill wife was his greatest concern, the reason he was routinely late every Friday morning.

He always visited her in the hospital prior to her chemotherapy, and would not let go of her hand until the very last moment before she was placed in her wheelchair and hauled off to the cancer clinic for her treatment. Most of her sessions were in the late afternoons, except Fridays, which was why it was only on this day that he was tardy.

Visions of his wife's gaunt face, yellow skin and hairless head invaded my mind from his, in alternating succession with the vision of Isabella before me, and I felt sorry for him. I did not know what it was like to watch a loved one die but from what I picked up on from this male, it was evidently very difficult. Suddenly, a feeling of dread washed over me as I stared into the vivacious dark brown eyes of Isabella and compared her to the heartbreak, illness and pain the teacher dealt with every day with his spouse.

One day, Isabella would cease to exist and I _would_ know the pain humans experienced in those circumstances. Would I have to watch her suffer like this male with his mate? A million questions raced through my mind.

But these were not thoughts I could entertain right now – not when we had just moved here so I could have Isabella in my life. If I continued thinking along those terms, I would be packed up and gone before twilight. I never thought I was anything close to human, until now.

I frowned and concentrated on blocking Mr. Banner's sorrow. It was important to concentrate on the here and now, something I was much accustomed to doing in most areas of my life before Isabella came along. When facing years of endless existence, there was never any reason to look into the future and plan ahead.

"So sir, would you like to introduce yourself or shall I make the introductions?"

As the females in the class speculated what my name was, I crossed my arms and looked back at the teacher before returning my gaze to my audience.

"Cullen. Edward Cullen, sir."

I cringed inwardly as every female, at the same time, screeched my name in their minds, repeating it over and over again, giggling with excitement. All I desired was to know what Isabella thought. The males took on a more typical approach and criticized my moniker for sounding too old-fashioned. They had no idea just how true that was.

"What, did he come to school as James Bond for Halloween? _I'm Cullen, Edward Cullen_. Shaken, not stirred." The male sitting behind Isabella mocked me. Meanwhile, his thoughts told me that he felt threatened as he contrasted my success with the females with his own failure to attract the same attention from them.

Only the idiotic students among the group found him amusing and they laughed, their thoughts referring to him as Newton or Mike. To my complete surprise, Isabella turned around in her chair and verbalized her disgust with his comment and it certainly caught him off guard, as well as the black haired girl sitting beside him.

This girl had a familiarity in her eyes when she looked at Isabella and I focused on her mind in particular, which showed me that they were, in fact, quite close. Angela, her name was.

Another student called out some remark about my vehicle and I studied Mike as his feelings towards Isabella shifted from anger to desire. Immediately, I despised that male because his new thoughts were absolutely deplorable – far worse than what was on the minds of the other males.

Rage boiled in my chest and for the first time ever, I thought about how easy it would be to silence a human for good. I would be so swift that he would not even see me coming, and his body would be disposed of before anyone even noticed that he and I were no longer in the classroom.

I thought about Carlisle, Jasper and Emmett and their protectiveness over their mates and I understood them perfectly. Even though Isabella and I would never be mated, that did not mean I would not protect her. That was the reason behind me seeking her out after her seventeenth birthday in the first place. I would rather kill than have any harm come to her, no matter what my vow to our government was.

Although Mike possessed dishonorable intentions towards Isabella as I supposed any hormonally charged teenage boy would, what he was unaware of was that he now had an obstacle so great in his path that he would never have the opportunity to act out his fantasies.

Me.

I would never let him near her – or any male in this town for that matter. But in the back of my mind, harassing me, was the fact that one day, Isabella would have a human male who she would love, marry, and bear children for - someone other than me to take care of her. Now that she was here before me, that reality was too much for me to bear. I had been so committed to my decision and believed that my plan was fool-proof, but with every passing second, my confidence diminished and I wanted more from her than just friendship

Had I made a mistake in moving to Forks, knowing that she would never be mine?

As Mike continued his vulgar thoughts, I forced myself to remain steadfast in my decision. She needed me here, just as much as I needed to be here.

"Well, everyone, let's welcome Edward." I felt something brush against my shoulder and Mr. Banner hissed under his breath. I realized that he had patted my back, which explained his painful reaction. He was lucky that he did not break his wrist or shatter his fingers. "My, my. Aren't you a strong fellow?!"

I did not bother replying for I was too busy looking at Isabella. She had not taken her eyes off of me since my arrival and I hoped my constant stare in return did not make her feel uncomfortable.

"Edward, the only seat left is right over there by Miss Swan. You two can be lab partners since she doesn't have one," Mr. Banner instructed.

Panic radiated from Isabella, plowing into me with such force that I never expected to come from such a small, fragile human. Epinephrine raced through her veins from her adrenal gland - the fight or flight hormone. This partnership offered me the perfect opportunity to speak with her but perhaps she was not so enthusiastic about the idea. Her pulse quickened greatly as well as her respirations and I grew even more confused. She could be excited or scared. I was not sure.

I pretended to breathe and fidgeted as I made my way towards Isabella, switching my jacket from my left hand to my right. Our eyes remained locked for the duration of my journey and when I reached the lab bench, I inhaled deeply, attempting to swarm my senses with her beautiful jasmine scent. It had been thirteen years since I had been given this privilege in such close proximity, but this time was much sweeter as I was able to appreciate it more than I had then, even if it was terrifying me that it attracted me so immensely.

Her lips parted slightly and it was then I sensed it – lust - radiating off of her in droves. Now that I was close to her, I smelled it surging through her body, tainted with the coffee that sat in front of her, masking the scent of everyone else in the room. But as I concentrated with a smile on my face, I realized that it was more than that - different from the attraction coming off of the other females - in fact, any female I had ever encountered. It was much more intense and emotional. Yes, it was definitely not lust. It was something much greater.

As a tingling sensation traveled from my chest to my extremities, my smile quickly faltered. I had never experienced such longing before. My mind as well as my body craved her in ways that it should not, especially since we were only to remain friends and suddenly, I felt completely powerless against my resolve. I certainly had not expected this complication. My love for her was strong but I never anticipated her returning the same feelings. But without entry into her thoughts, there was still no way for me to know what it was that had overwhelmed her so completely that it nearly sent me running from the room.

I cleared my throat, attempting to calm myself down as I looked as her various personal items scattered about the table. She looked embarrassed and that lovely blush of hers deepened.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she cleared a space for me and moved over to the stool by the window.

Taking my place beside her, I focused on her rapid heart rate and the heat radiating from her body, which inundated me. She breathed in deeply, sighing ever so slightly and as I shifted on my stool in an attempt to act less graceful, my arm made contact with hers.

The touch energized me and I felt warm, happy...complete.

However, as expected, her eyes widened, she jolted upright and the strong, mysterious emotion radiating from her grew even more potent. Immediately, I pulled my arm away, scolding myself for being so careless. It had only been twenty-three seconds since I sat down and already I erred in a way I had always been so vigilant to avoid in the past. The fine hairs on her arm stood up from the intense coldness of my skin and I realized that this is how it would always be if I touched her. Unfortunately, I would no longer be able to afford myself that privilege.

Carlisle was able to convince his patients that it was his nature to be so cold, but for the majority of us, that would not work. There were other complications to physical touch between vampire and human as well. It had taken me almost ten years after my change to grow accustomed to utilizing items like a pencil without breaking them. If I could crush a tree trunk with my bare hands, then the dangers to a human would be even more damaging. Although I had learned to control my strength, being in Isabella's company made me doubt myself. The risk was far too great if I slipped and my usual confidence was not enough to assure me that I would never accidently harm her. I had to be extra cautious from now on, just in case. I had blundered much too easily just now.

The female with the black hair behind Isabella kicked her stool and her thoughts entertained ideas about Isabella's infatuation over me. Additionally, she supported her conduct, happy that her friend seemed interested, although she silently begged her to act less obvious.

I hoped Angela was right and that Isabella was fond of me. However, those additional feelings beyond friendship troubled me because of the problems they could potentially create regarding my plan. Upon further investigation, I found this female, Angela, to be quite loyal. I had to remember to be nice to her. Her thoughts showed she was a nice female and an honest friend to Isabella.

I removed a writing utensil and notebook from my bag and then zipped it up and placed it on the floor at my feet. Like any student would, I looked straight ahead at the teacher, but my mind was focused on how to speak with the female beside me. I needed a casual approach. I thought about my recent late night piano session and the melody I composed with her in mind. I mimicked the beat with my pen against the table, using Isabella's heart beat to increase the tune ever so slightly to make it more upbeat – invigorating, like she was.

But after a few bars, I was much too distracted by her jasmine scent and the repulsive odor of the coffee that sat in front of me to continue. I supposed she forgot to move it with all of her other items. I had to remove it so I could smell her, untainted. I could feel the coolness of the liquid seeping into the air, signalling it had long been forgotten, rendering it completely undrinkable now. Human food and beverages smelled absolutely dreadful to vampires and the caffeine, milk, and sugar wafting from this brew was no exception. Carefully, I slid the offending item towards her.

"Uh, t-thank you," she replied as she reached for the cup. I removed my grip quickly, ensuring our hands did not make contact as a silence enveloped us. It seemed like the opportune time for a proper introduction.

"Hello, my name is Edward." I stared directly into her eyes, lost in their intricacy and beauty. When I pronounced my name, her pulse quickened. Although it was customary for a gentleman to take the woman's hand in his when formally introducing himself and place a soft kiss upon her skin, considering my mishap earlier that was clearly not an option.

She turned to me and smiled – the first time in thirteen years her smile was directed at me. "Hey," she spoke.

I decided against saying hello again because now my initial introduction sounded much too square.

"Hey," I replied, satisfied with my ability to loosen up my vocabulary. I offered a smile and that caused her heart to hammer in her chest, making it difficult for me to concentrate.

"Hey," she repeated in a whisper. I grazed my tongue along my lower lip, revelling in the sweet taste of her breath on my skin as she spoke.

Nervousness emitted from her and an awkward silence enveloped us. I was concerned we had hit a drought, but she quickly broke the curse. "So, I hear you were homeschooled and that your mom is an interior designer. My dad, Charlie, has met your dad at the hospital. He's the head of Surgery there, right? How do you like Forks? It's not too boring for you, is it? I know when I first moved to town back in August, I thought I would die of boredom, but it's growing on me. Do you have any hobbies? You have brothers and sisters that go here, too, right? I'm an only child and growing up I always wished that I had a brother or sister. You don't like Dungeons and Dragons, do you? Oh, and I really like your jacket - North Face?"

I studied her eyes until she uttered her final sentence, absolutely enthralled by the way she formed her words and the interest she had in me and my family. She gulped, her facing turning red, and I could not help but laugh at her innocence.

"Well, let me see. I was not home-schooled, but rather, tutored for the duration of September and October until we were able to enrol here at Forks High. Before that I always attended regular schools. My mother, Esme, is in fact, a very talented interior designer. My father, Carlisle, _has _mentioned your father, Charlie, many times. And yes, he is the head of the Surgical Department at Forks General Hospital. So far, I like this town very much. It is definitely a change from the big cities I am used to living in but I find that I am adjusting quite nicely. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking in the woods, reading and composing music on my piano or guitar. I have two brothers, Emmett and Jasper and two sisters, Alice and Rosalie. We were adopted so we are all seniors. I cannot say I have ever played Dungeons and Dragons. And no, it is not North Face, it is Armani."

Her eyes widened. Vampires were bestowed with memory capabilities far greater than those of any human so it was not a great shock that she was amazed by my swift response.

"Uh, it's nice to meet you," she stammered.

She had no idea how lovely it was for me to hear that. "And you, as well, Isabella."

"Alright, settle down," Mr. Banner instructed. "Since we've had a late start today, we will head straight into the short review for Monday's quiz. Miss Swan, can you inform Mr. Cullen of how we do things around here? And please provide him with the notes from this week so he won't be lost come test time."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Ah, s-sure...um, yes."

She turned to me and I was grateful for her attention once again "We always have a review every Friday of the content we covered throughout the week and then we get quizzed on that material on Monday. I can make copies of my notes, if you like. Then you can take them home and study this weekend."

"I would greatly appreciate that, thank you. But only if it is not too much trouble." Isabella had to get used to me doing stuff for her, not the other way around, but she seemed excited to assist me in this particular instance and there was no way I would deny her that – or anything, for that matter.

"No, it's fine." She waved her hand, sending a gust of her scent in my direction. "I can make copies at lunch and slip them into your locker. What's your locker number?"

Recalling the number the secretary in the office provided me, I smiled. "Number 157. Close to the art room."

Her brown eyes sparkled and I knew without a doubt that I had never seen such beauty before. "Really?! Mine's 152. We're practically neighbors!"

I could not help but smile at her enthusiasm. She had no idea just how close I had been these last thirteen years every October. "Yes, I guess you can say that. Thank you, Isabella."

"Y-you're welcome." Her blood rushed to her face and she focused her attention back to the front, much to my dismay.

I knew the components of the course extremely well so I spent the next fifty minutes counting the number of hairs on Isabella's right arm, studying the unique way she crossed her t's and dotted her i's, and memorizing the way in which she tucked her hair behind her ears whenever she stopped writing and listened to the lesson.

My biggest challenge was ignoring the internal comments of the other humans in the room because every time one of them mentioned my name, which was more often than not, my attention was diverted and I did not want to miss a moment of Isabella.

I made sure to copy down some content as well, just so I would not seem out of place amongst the scribbling students throughout the room. I even raised my hand and answered some questions to show additional interest, which seemed to impress Isabella greatly. I could tell she was a meticulous, smart woman and I wanted to her to know she had an intellectual equivalent in her lab partner, even though my knowledge base was much more extensive than hers.

When the bell rang, I felt disappointed that the class was over. I wondered if she had any other classes with me but I did not want to inquire. As the students disbanded and exited the classroom, I concentrated on blocking their thoughts, allowing myself a reprieve. Although, it was quite exasperating at times, having to concentrate on filtering out others thoughts, especially when I was in a large group or crowd.

However, currently, it was their external chatter that intrigued me most. Many of them discussed a party that was taking place tonight, hosted by that foul-minded male, Michael Newton. I zeroed in on Angela's mind, hoping she would mention something about her and Isabella attending, but she was too focused on inquiring about Isabella's thoughts on me after I left. I did not blame her. I, too, was interested and I wished I could be in the vicinity when that particular exchange took place. Although I possessed acute hearing, in a school full of conversing humans, it would be difficult to isolate one particular discussion if I was not present in the immediate area.

As I stood up, I acknowledged Isabella, ensuring that she was aware I enjoyed speaking with her. "It was a pleasure meeting you and I hope to see you around. And thank you for the notes, Isabella."

"No problem, that's what lab partners do," she laughed and I heard Angela giggle behind me, hovering, anxiously awaiting my exit.

Retrieving my messenger bag and jacket, I walked across the room, attempting to ignore the mindless chatter of the student body. It was difficult to walk away from Isabella. I wanted nothing more than to carry her school bag and escort her to her next class, which I hoped would be mine, pull out her chair in the cafeteria, pay for her meal, like a gentleman should, and discover what kind of food she liked, music, books, and what her aspirations for the future were. Everything. However, I had already shown too much attention and I needed to act less obvious in my affection for her. It was truly difficult, much more than I anticipated, especially if her interest in me was beyond friendship.

As I stepped into the crowded corridor, and my view of her disappeared, I felt empty. It was then I realized that my current complications were only the beginning and I had to take another serious look at my original plan.

**Oh man! Is Edward in it just as bad as Bella? Me thinks so:)**

**Follow me on Twitter, Larin20.**

**Leave me sugar!**


	8. Unexpected Invitations

**A/N Hello lovelies! **

**MissAlex writes Edward and his aloothness and Larin20 writes bella and her fear of speaking Edward Cullen's name outloud. **

**Alex edited this and she is my savior! Pure brilliance just oozes out of her. :)**

**Chapter Seven: Unexpected Invitations.**

_**Bella**_

"So, basically," Jessica concluded as she popped another grape into her mouth. "She's gorgeous and blonde - actually, she kind of looks like me, except taller."

I almost spit out my milk at her remark. Angela and I exchanged glances and tried to hold back our smirks while Jessica continued chewing, completely oblivious to our amusement. I swallowed my milk and nodded, trying to be polite, but after seeing Edward during first period, and hearing the gossip about how attractive the rest of the Cullens were, I found it hard to believe that Jessica looked like one of his sisters, Rosalie, as she said she did. But she insisted that throughout first period Spanish, she studied her and the resemblance was uncanny. Jessica was pretty, but more in that yellow-blonde, false eyelashes, blue shadow kind of way. But it would be rude of me to dispute her comment so I just kept my thoughts to myself.

Jessica, Angela, and I were currently sitting in the cafeteria during lunch and she was giving us the low down on all of the information she gathered this morning on the Cullens.

"And one of the brothers, Jasper, was in my second period math class." Jessica lowered her voice to a whisper and Angela and I leaned in closer. "Now, you two both know how hard I'm crushing on Mike, but this guy, Jasper. Wow. He's blonde, has a southern accent, and best of all, he was _totally _checking me out."

Figures.

Jessica always thought that every guy was checking her out. Although, I never met Jasper yet so it wasn't completely impossible. Jessica had big boobs and wore skimpy outfits - maybe he went for that sort of thing. He certainly wouldn't be the first guy.

"The other brother, Emmett, was in my second period," Angela added. "He's cute. He has dimples when he smiles, curly dark hair, and he's built like a linebacker. I wonder if he'll try out for the football team. Although, our team is so bad, I don't think even he could save it."

"I wish I could've seen your Edward," Jessica sighed as I took another sip of milk. "From what Angela's told me, he's a hunk!"

My eyes narrowed and I swallowed hard. "First of all, as I told Angela - no names. Secondly, he's not my Edwa-uh, _guy_. He's my Biology lab partner."

"Well, he can replicate his DNA in me, anytime," she giggled.

Angela laughed and rolled her eyes while I lowered my empty milk carton to the table. "Jess, that's just gross."

"Whatever, I'm sure you were thinking it too," she argued with a smile. "Just because you still hold your V-card, doesn't mean you don't want to jump him - especially if he's as hot as Angie says."

"Will you lower your voice?" I hissed as my face turned red. "Not everyone has as much _experience_ as you so." It wasn't exactly something I wanted broadcast. It wasn't my fault that I hadn't found the right guy yet.

She covered her mouth with her hand. "Sorry, I know, touchy subject."

Picking up my spoon, I stared down at my half eaten bowl of slop, which the cafeteria liked to call meatloaf, too embarrassed to look up. I swirled the contents around aimlessly, thanking God that the Cullens weren't in the lunchroom today, catching any of our conversation. Apparently, when the lunch bell rang, a bunch of students saw them driving out of the parking lot in their fancy cars, most likely, heading to one of the diners in town.

I hoped that Edward would be here, at least, but I guessed since it was their first day, they wanted to stick together. They were wealthy so it was understandable that they didn't want to eat cafeteria food. I couldn't blame them after some of the mystery dishes I'd rejected since starting at Forks High.

The five of them were the topic of the entire school. Hot. Rich. Smart. I knew what it was like to be whispered about, being the new kid, but what I endured was nothing compared to this.

Just as I expected, as soon as Angela and I sat down, she told Jess all about my encounter with Edward this morning. I just sat there in silence and took it all because sadly, Angela pretty much described the truth. There was no point in trying to sugar-coat it.

"So guess what?" Jessica exclaimed.

I dropped my fork onto my tray, giving up on my chunky meat mess of a meal. "What?"

"Mike stopped me in the hall and asked me to help him set up for his party tonight. I'm going over there before the guests arrive," she winked.

Angela and I exchanged knowing glances. But there was no way I was going to burst Jessica's bubble by telling her that Mike asked me first and I rejected him. She'd crushed on him for years and although she didn't acknowledge him fawning over me after I arrived in town, I was sure that she noticed. But I always made it clear that I wasn't interested in him so it never interfered with our friendship. We weren't as close as Angela and I, but still, I would never say anything to hurt her feelings.

"Uh, that's great," Angela piped up.

"Uh, yeah, it is," I added, forcing a smile. The thought of anyone getting excited over Mike Newton completely baffled me but if she was happy then more power to her.

"I cannot wait until he sees my costume tonight!" she giggled. "He's going to _love _it."

"I bet," Angela teased.

The topic shifted to Angela's costume and since I already knew all about it, I took that as my cue to leave. I still had to make copies of my notes for Edward before my next class and there was only a few minutes left for lunch.

"Okay guys, I'll see you after last period." They stopped talking and looked at me while I gathered my backpack and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Angela asked.

"I just have to copy some notes."

Her eyes lit up. "Ah, yes, for Ed- I mean, for you-know-who."

I sighed. "Yes, exactly, for you-know-who."

"Who, _Edward_?" Jessica put special emphasis on his name and batted her eyelashes, playing dumb.

I narrowed my eyes at her and she laughed.

"Anyway, I'll see you two later," I mumbled, choosing to ignore her comment. If we started at each other, who knew how long we'd go for, and I didn't have much time.

They gave me a wave and I nodded before walking away from the table with my tray in hand.

Carrying it over to the garbage, I dumped the contents inside. "Good riddance," I muttered under my breath. I was surprised the entire school hadn't dropped dead from that stuff they liked to call food. If my truck wasn't on its last wheels, I'd be heading into town to eat too, like the Cullens.

I exited the cafeteria and headed to the main office and it didn't take long for me to photocopy my notes and walk to his locker.

Number 157.

I traced my fingertips down the door, thinking that at some point today, his hands had been here too.

Wow, I really was pathetic.

Like some crazy stalker, I lingered there for a few moments before folding my notes and slipping them in between the cracks. I heard them fall to the floor on the other side and I hoped that he would find them without any difficulty so he could review for Monday's test.

Just as I was about to walk away, I found a copy of Mike Newton's Halloween party flyer laying face down on the floor, the bright orange paper, unmistakable. Picking it up, I dusted the footprints off the back and flipped it over.

This was supposed to be the party of the year. But then again, Mike said all of his parties were the party of the year. When I was new in town, it was at Mike's end-of-summer gathering where I met Angela and Jessica, and it hadn't been too bad. There was no doubt that everyone would be there tonight.

Again, I wondered if Edward was going.

But it was his first day and maybe he didn't know about it. But he had to have seen all the flyers around town, right?

_What if..._

I looked down at the paper in my hand.

_...I slipped this into Edward's locker..._

_...then he would see it..._

_...but would he come?_

I thought about Angela's encouraging words earlier and without thinking it through, I pulled out a pen from my backpack and placed the flyer up against the nearby wall, face down. I wrote a quick note on the back and after reading it over once, I signed my name and slipped it through one of the slats of Edward's locker. As I heard it fall the length of the locker and hit the floor, I exhaled deeply. There was no turning back now.

I mentally patted myself on the back for being so brave. This was so out of character for me but nothing about my experience with Edward so far had been ordinary.

He _had_ to come tonight. Teenage boys liked parties, right? And plus, it would be a great way for him to meet people.

_And a great opportunity for me to see him again..._

I rolled my eyes at my desperation. Yeah, because Monday, first period, was just _so_ far away...

I really was pitiful.

I shook my head, trying to convince myself I did a good thing. My invite was perfectly acceptable. It wasn't like I was throwing an intimate dinner for two. This was Mike's party and everyone in school would be there. It was the polite thing to do to let him know about it and if we happened to run into each other and strike up a conversation...

I hit my head against the lockers. Who was I kidding? There was no way that Edward Cullen would want anything to do with Bella Swan.

I was nothing special.

Eyeing his locker, I wished I knew the combination so I could take back the flyer with my note on it, but I was stuck. What's done was done.

Feeling foolish, I placed my pen back in my bag and made my way down the hall. On my way to third period, I decided to stop by the restroom to pull my hair into a ponytail. I had to do something to try and fix my appearance, just in case I ran into him again. Pushing open the door, I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized that there was no one else in here.

Turning on the faucet, I tested the temperature until it was ice cold. As the sound of rushing water flooded the restroom, I thought back to Edward's cold touch in Biology and wondered where the Cullens had lived before coming to Forks. This cool, rainy town would be hard to adjust to if he was used to a warmer climate. But then again, he was extremely pale, so that wouldn't make any sense. Maybe they came from, like, Alaska or something and his body was used to the cold. That would explain the temperature of his skin and its color, right?

I looked at myself in the mirror and shook my head. What was I, a detective? Was I seriously trying to analyze the history of the Cullens based on no concrete information whatsoever?

Ugh, I definitely had to stop obsessing over him. It wasn't healthy.

After washing my hands, I bent over and cupped the refreshing liquid in my palms to splash my face. I needed something to jolt me awake so I could clear my thoughts. My head felt like it was racing all morning and I still had two classes to go so it was imperative that I cleansed my head of all things Edward Cullen.

But even as the water hit my face, all I could think about was my first glimpse of him in Biology. My feelings were so foreign to me. I was always so in control of my emotions but now nothing seemed to be going the way I wanted them to. Every other girl in this school was falling all over him, but I doubted they were as crazy as I was. I just wanted to think that he was cute and be done with it, but I couldn't.

_Isabella._

His melodic voice repeated over and over again in my mind.

The way he smelled reminded me of a distant memory I couldn't place, and the way he carried himself reminded me of a creature on the prowl - sexy, tantalizing, and oh-so-dangerous, yet utterly irresistible. I threw another handful of water on my face and squeezed my eyes tight as the cold liquid splashed down into the sink.

"Stop it, Bella!" I muttered. "He's just another boy, probably like all the rest."

But as soon as the words left my mouth, I knew that there was no way I could just forget about him. Even when all of the other girls in the school stopped ogling over him because he was no longer a new commodity, I knew that I wouldn't be able to.

"Guy troubles?" A sweet, sunny voice echoed off the bathroom walls.

Startled, I turned off the faucet with my eyes still closed and reached for the paper towel dispenser, but my hand found nothing but tile. I hadn't even heard anyone come in, but then again, the rushing water had been pretty loud.

"Here," the voice instructed as I felt paper towel graze my fingertips. I grabbed it, patted my face dry, and upon opening my eyes, I looked to my right and found a tiny girl with wispy, short, black hair standing beside me with a smile.

She looked like something out of a _Forever 21_ catalogue. She was dressed in a button down royal blue blouse, dark denim jeans and black ballet flats. The sides of her hair were pinned back on her head with clips that sparkled under the fluorescent lights and her ears were adorned with earrings that looked like diamonds. There was no doubt in my mind that she was a Cullen. Basically, she was gorgeous and perfect and I could only imagine what the rest of them looked like. Based on this sister, there was no _way _Jessica looked like the blonde one, Rosalie.

Even though this girl's hair was black and Edward's was auburn, they both had the same extremely pale, flawless skin and graceful movements. What were they, a family of porcelain ballet dancers? But what caught my attention were her eyes. They were light gold, very similar to Edward's. It was such a rare color, yet both of them had it and they weren't blood-related.

How odd.

"Thank you," I replied as I forced my mouth shut and tossed the paper towel into the garbage can. I had to stop gawking at this family.

"You're very welcome," she said with a smile. "So do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" I asked, confused.

She leaned against the counter, placing her designer purse on top of it. "Your guy troubles. I'm good a good listener if you need a friend."

My eyes widened. There was no way I was going to tell her that her _brother_ was the source of my _'trouble.'_

I had to play it cool.

"Um, no, there's no trouble." I forced a laugh. "No trouble at all. I'm fine...it's just stupid stuff." I glanced in the mirror, noticing that my face was beet red. I was a terrible liar.

"Okay, if you're sure," she smiled.

"Uh, yes, thank you."

Luckily, she didn't press any further. She turned to face the mirror and fluffed her hair as I stood in awe of her grace. "I'm Alice Cullen, by the way." She turned back to me and placed her hands behind her back, instead of offering one for me to shake. But I guess handshakes were kind of too formal for a restroom encounter. "You're Bella, right?"

I was taken aback. I never would've thought that she would know my name. "Yup, I'm Bella. How did you know? Are you psychic or something?" I joked.

"Ha! Maybe!" Her sweet laughter rang throughout the restroom and I bet that she was musical too, like Edward. It sounded that way, just from the way she talked, and now my Partridge Family idea didn't seem too farfetched any more.

As she took out a tube of lip gloss from her purse and smoothed it over her lips, she offered up no further explanation. So I shrugged and let the subject drop.

When she was finished, she put the cap back on and looked into the mirror, puckering her lips and straightening her blouse. She didn't even need makeup. She was naturally stunning. And whatever perfume she wore smelled amazing. As I nonchalantly looked her over for the millionth time, I couldn't help but feel a slight tinge of jealousy and disappointment. If Edward had sisters that looked like this, who set the bar so high, there was no way he'd go for someone like me.

Removing an elastic band from around my wrist, I pulled my hair into a ponytail and frowned.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked, catching my gaze in the mirror.

I sighed and dropped my hands to my sides. "I'm sorry. I'm just pretty out of it today. You know, with all the Halloween party excitement and all," I explained. It wasn't a _total _lie.

Alice clapped her hands together and her gold eyes grew wide as she turned to me. "I love parties! I haven't been to a real party in ages, especially a _Halloween_ party."

"Well, you're from a big city...uh, or so I've heard." I blushed. I didn't want her to think that I was gossiping about her and her family. "I don't know how this one would compare. But, I grew up in Seattle and the last party I attended here in Forks was all right for a small town bash."

"I'm sure it's going to be great fun!" she exclaimed. Based on her excitement now, I couldn't imagine her ever having a bad day. She seemed so happy...peppy. Although if I looked like that I'd be happy too. I felt so plain standing next to her.

There was an awkward silence and I shifted on my feet. She looked at me, beaming from ear to ear and I forced a smile to match hers.

The polite thing to do was to invite her to the party. Heck, it wasn't my shindig, but I already invited her brother. Maybe if Alice was going, Edward would be more likely to show up.

Perfect!

It wasn't that I was using her, she seemed nice enough but I just couldn't help make the connection.

With a smile still plastered on her face, she grabbed her purse and made her way towards the door. "Well, I guess I better start walking to third period," she called out over her shoulder "One of my brothers is waiting for me. It was nice to meet you, Bella. I hope you have fun tonight."

Even though she didn't look offended that I didn't invite her, I still felt terrible.

"Alice, wait!"

Pausing by the door, she turned around and raised a perfectly manicured black eyebrow.

"Would you like to go to the party tonight?" I asked.

Her face lit up and she jumped up and down. "Oh, I would love too! Do you think it would be okay? I mean we weren't invited."

_We?!_

My heart skipped a beat.

"I'm sure it will be fine. I don't know if you noticed, but Mike Newton placed flyers everywhere around town, even in the girl's bathroom so I think he wants as many people to show up as possible." I pointed to one taped to the stall door. "I would say that he asked a girl to put them up in here, but knowing him, he probably did it himself. That perv!"

We both laughed and Alice twirled a short lock of hair around her forefinger, cocking her head to the side. "If you think it's alright, then I'm definitely coming."

"That's great," I smiled.

"Do you think I could bring my brother, Jasper? He's like my twin," she smirked "We're attached at the hip."

My heart fell.

So that's who the other part of '_we_' was.

I tried not to let my disappointment show, but at least Jessica would be happy. If what she told Angela and me about Jasper was true, she'd have both him and Mike drooling over her tonight.

"Absolutely. I would like to meet him too. I already met your other brother, Edward, today." Right away my face grew red and I hoped she didn't notice. "Uh, he's in my Biology class," I added quickly.

"I know," she smiled as she reached for the door handle. "He told me."

And with that, she tore a party flyer off the nearby wall and pulled the door open, exiting the restroom.

"See you tonight, Bella!" she called out as the door shut behind her.

I nodded.

_Oh, that's good Edward told her about me._

I turned back to the mirror.

_Wait._

_What?!_

_He _told her_ about _me_?!_

My eyes grew wide as my sluggish brain realized what she just said. I didn't want to look suspicious, but at the same time, I desperately needed to know what Edward said about me. Did he think I was a loser?!

In a panic, I rushed out of the bathroom, but when I scanned the hallway, Alice Cullen was nowhere to be found.

It was as though she had disappeared into thin air.

Pulling forward on the straps of my backpack, I walked to my next class with my shoulders slumped, my head still swarming with thoughts of Edward. My bathroom visit had only made them worse. He had now taken over every part of me – and I'd known him all of fifty minutes.

If this morning was any indication of what lay ahead for me, then tonight was going to be one interesting party and this was going to be one heck of a final year.

**A/N Leave me sugar**


	9. Revelations

**A/N Hello lovelies! **

**Special thanks to Mike, Alex's bf for editing **

**Alex writes Edward and he self-brooding and I write Bella and her impulsive party invitations.....**

**Alex did an amazing job on this chapter and you should go over to her side and leave her a comment. She writes Edward so well and executes his emotions so brilliantly. She's listed under my fave authors. **

**Also Alex and I got a couple of repeated questions after last chapter and we would like to address them**

**Alice and Jasper are mates. Rose and Emmett are mates. Because they are fronting as adopted siblings to the humans, in public, they are pretending to only be brothers and sisters, that's it. In the books it is different, but we found it made more sense this way. We felt that the humans might think its weird that adopted siblings are dating. But that's just our opinion :)**

**Secondly, the details of the 'Alice mystery' will be revealed slowly throughout the story in bits and pieces as it pertains to the plot. Right now, all you need to know is that something traumatic happened to her back in the 1970s which affected the entire coven greatly.**

**We just borrow from Meyer**

Chapter Eight: Revelations 

_**Edward**_

I spotted Emmett easily amongst the throngs of students as I made my way out of Biology class and down the corridor towards second period. He was massive compared to the other males. As he approached, he grinned and opened his mind up to me.

"_Alice got a message from Carlisle on her BB – family meeting in the woods at noon."_

I gave him a curt nod indicating that I would comply with this information. My coven and I were going off school grounds during lunch anyway so the humans would not notice that we did not eat. I supposed talking to Carlisle was as good a way as any to pass the time until third period. If Isabella was not in my second period class then hopefully I would see her again this afternoon – if not in class then by our lockers or the parking lot. My desperation to be close to her overwhelmed me and I had to rein myself in considerably, reminding myself that starting off slow was the best plan.

As Emmett passed me, he raised his fist. I looked at him, perplexed, and we both stopped walking.

"_Bump my fist, man. It's apparently the cool thing to do around here,"_ he instructed in his mind.

I rolled my eyes and purposely kept my hands down. "Emmett, that is very juvenile."

"Isn't that what we're pretending to be – juvenile?" he hissed at a level inaudible to the humans. "You need to loosen up, man, and go with the flow. People are going to think you're strange if you don't at least try to fit in a _little_. I've always left you alone before, but now that you want to become Bella's friend, I can't just sit back and watch you make a fool out of yourself. She's going to think you have a stick up your ass if you don't relax. You need to blend, brother. Say it with me, _blend_."

"Emmett-"

"Just saying. Now, come on, don't leave me hanging here." He raised his hand higher.

"Maybe some other time," I replied, darting my eyes away from him.

He frowned, dropping his arm while I readjusted my bag on my shoulder and continued past him.

"Spoil sport," he mumbled.

"_You need to learn how to have fun, Edward," _he added silently as I heard him turn around in the opposite direction.

Mulling over his disappointment, I glanced at him over my shoulder. His shoulders were slumped and he shuffled his feet along the corridor. Maybe he was right. Perhaps I did need to loosen up, however it was difficult for me to change after so many years of maintaining such a regimented existence, trying to separate myself from everyone, never feeling as though I fit in. Isabella was not used to someone like me. I had to remember, in order to succeed in befriending her, I had to adapt to her world, not the other way around.

Chemistry was my second period class and if not for Alice entertaining me by telling jokes or commenting on the humans, I never would have made it through. She could not hear my thoughts but I could hers and I appreciated the effort. I paid particular attention to my facial expressions so that they reflected my amusement and gratitude towards her, ensuring I did not isolate her like I did Emmett earlier.

When the final bell rang, signaling the end of class, it took all of my tenacity not to race out of the classroom. That particular branch of science was my favorite subject but this teacher made it absolutely mundane and most of the students did not know an element from a compound. I did not even bother answering questions this time, mostly because I did not have Isabella at my side granting me the desire to make an effort.

"So did you hear about the meeting?" Alice asked she approached me and wrapped an arm protectively around my own. We piled out of class and right away the students around us in the corridor began whispering. It was during times like these that I wished I was able to block out external thoughts as well as internal ones.

"Yes, I did. Emmett informed me."

I noticed Alice refrained from asking about my morning with Isabella which she undoubtedly knew about, which furthered my speculation about the purpose of our meeting with Carlisle.

"Excellent!" she exclaimed. "Do you have to get anything out of your locker before we go?"

I thought back to Isabella's comment about us being neighbors and I considered the option. However, when we passed the corridor where our lockers were located, I could not pick up her scent or see her in the crowd. She was not there.

"No, I am fine. I will walk out with you."

Alice nodded and whistled as we made our way outside to the parking lot where Jasper, Rose and Emmett were already waiting by our vehicles. Their thoughts reflected those of Alice and I assumed the details of this meeting were purposely withheld from me. It was obvious that given my track record they believed I would be difficult, but for the first time ever, I felt offended by their assumptions.

Sliding into my Vantage, I threw my messenger bag onto the passenger seat. The engine roared to life when I turned the key and I pulled out of my parking spot behind Jasper. As usual, they allowed me to pass and I drove ahead of the rest of them, opening my mind up to the thoughts around me, detecting if there were any police officers in the area. Luckily, there were no law enforcement present and we were able to reach our destination quickly.

"_Pull over here, Edward,"_ Alice instructed from Jasper's car. I shifted gears and coasted along the side of the road before coming to a stop along the perimeter of the dense forest. Exiting our vehicles, we slammed our doors shut and gathered on the fringe under the cloudy sky.

"Where does Carlisle want us to meet him?" Rose asked.

Alice looked down at his message on her BlackBerry. "About ten miles that way." She pointed towards the thick gathering of trees. "Oh, and Esme cannot make it. She has a client."

Emmett turned to Jasper. "Race ya, bro."

Before Jasper could respond, Emmett was off. Although he did not mean any offence I felt insulted that he neglected to involve me in their competition.

"Are you going to join them?" Rose asked me.

I shrugged. "I do not believe I am invited."

Alice giggled. "Nonsense. Come on, Rose and I are giving you three a head start. One...two..."

I did not wait for her to finish. I took off into the forest and my swift reflexes and speed allowed me to catch up to Jasper and Emmett quickly. The three of us ran neck and neck through the woods, darting past the tall pines and bounding over fallen logs. When Emmett noticed me running beside him, he grinned.

The wind whipped past me, and small branches grazed my jacket and face, but I did not slow down. Utilizing my optimal speed, I felt a satisfactory release after forcing myself to sit still all morning and as Emmett's laughter echoed throughout the area, I found myself smiling as well. It had been such a long time since I felt so full and undoubtedly, my extreme contentment stemmed from the dark-haired beauty back at the high school.

I reveled in the thrill of the race with my coven and pushed myself to my greatest potential as the forest creatures sensed our approach and darted out of the way, their survival instincts kicking into high gear. Fear emanated from their trembling forms and their frantic beating hearts pounded in my ear, energizing me even more. Although we did not consider ourselves killers, our vampire instincts were rooted deep within us, causing inevitable blood thirst whenever we were surrounded by our prey.

It was a constant struggle because we dominated all living things, but in the sanctuary of the forest, we were able to let go and succumb to our animalistic, primal urges. Smaller creatures did not provide enough sustenance so I was not tempted, but considering my current level of exhilaration and heightened senses, if a large animal crossed my path, chances were, I would attack without hesitation.

I focused my attention on winning the race not for the satisfaction of victory, but for personal verification. I needed to know that it was possible for me to successfully connect with my coven in jovial ways and feel a part of the group. I was making an effort to be included such as they always wished and it actually felt extremely rewarding.

For decades, I prided myself in my solitude and my self-imposed segregation provided relief. But my experience this morning changed my existence instantly. I realized that I was not the outsider I always considered myself to be. Instead, I forced myself to be different, fuelled by my frustration against my banal existence, which I had created for myself, and my belief that I would never attain the connection my fellow coven members achieved with their mates and each other. It was painful, but from my budding friendship with Isabella, I hoped I could change and become more accepting.

The air was muggy and thick, yet fresh and invigorating. My thoughts roamed to Isabella and how she revitalized me and I thought about how wonderful it would be to take her here, far away from civilization, and show her great the beauties of this world that the average human would never get to see. The trees were tall, the surrounding mountains grand, and the views they provided were awe-inspiring.

During our nightly hunting rituals outside of Forks, I explored this area extensively. I struggled to appreciate the beauty because I had seen many great things during my vampire existence that had desensitized me, but something told me that experiencing them through Isabella's eyes would be like witnessing them for the first time. Although I could not make her mine, she completed my existence in almost every other way.

As Emmett's footsteps thumped along the moss-covered ground and Jasper ran directly behind me, Alice and Rose raced past us.

"_Eat my dust!"_ Alice exclaimed in her mind.

The females' laughter sang throughout the woodland and I heard Emmett groan beside me as he increased his pace, struggling to catch up with them. I lengthened my strides as well, Jasper following close behind, but it was no use. Alice and Rose would surely win this one, even with our head start.

The best I could do was outrun my brothers. While Emmett's large build supported my quest, Jasper's military training provided me with a disadvantage, so I had to do work harder if I expected to win. With one last burst of determination, I pulled forward, leaving them growling behind me as they attempted to take over the lead.

Within a few moments, I sensed Carlisle and the five of us halted in our tracks.

"We win," Alice teased, playfully tapping Jasper's forearm. "I'd think you three have silver in your pants from the way you were running."

Jasper grinned. "My sweet, a true gentleman always lets his female win."

She giggled as he lifted her hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles.

Emmett looked dejected as he stepped between me and Jasper, arriving to our meeting spot in last place. "One time, just _one time_ I'm going to win," he muttered.

Carlisle walked into the clearing and greeted us with a nod, chuckling at our behavior.

"Never, baby!" Rose exclaimed. "Alice and I will always succeed. We won this race fair and square, and in heels, no less!" She pointed to her ridiculously impractical footwear and Emmett's scowl softened, displaying his prominent dimples. He could never remain bitter at Rose. He assisted her in removing pine needles from her hair and placed a kiss on her cheek, ever the gracious loser.

I shook my head with a smile and then felt all eyes on me.

"Edward, you're smiling!" Alice exclaimed.

"Yes, well, it does happen once every few decades." My grin widened.

"Oh goodness, was that a_ joke_?" Carlisle teased. "Who are you, and what have you done with the old Edward?"

"Alright, you are all quite hilarious. Now please focus your attention elsewhere." I jammed my hands into my jacket pockets and studied the insects climbing over the dirt on the ground surrounding my feet, feeling uneasy that my coven was so interested in my positive mood.

Had it really been that long since they saw me this way?

Although I tried to ignore them, their thoughts focused on one thing only: Isabella.

Running my hand through my hair, I diverted my gaze, knowing what was coming.

"So..." Alice began.

I sighed.

"Well, come on, tell us," Rose complained. "We need to know that we didn't move to this boring town for nothing."

My eyes locked with hers. "What is it that you would all like to know?"

"Duh!" Alice rolled her eyes.

She had certainly picked up on the current popular teenage terminology. I had heard that same phrase many times this morning at Forks High and I always found it quite irritating.

"What does Isabella think of you? I saw you two talking in Biology, but as you know, my visions do not have volume and they don't play like a full length movie. I only get flashes here and there, and in random order, but that is simply unacceptable. I want to know _all_ the details."

I shrugged. "I do not know."

"Well, you were _there_," Alice urged. "You have to know what happened."

"No, I do not know what Isabella _thinks_ of me," I clarified. I thought about the mysterious emotion she emitted and it reinforced my lack of understanding. "Nothing concrete, anyway."

"You're telling me that you weren't even the least bit curious to look into her mind?" Emmett asked incredulously.

"I cannot hear her thoughts even if I wanted to," I replied.

Their eyes widened and Carlisle looked especially intrigued.

"Since when?!" Jasper inquired.

"It has always been that way."

"And you never mentioned this before?" Alice screeched, causing the five of us cringe at the high intensity of her voice. Birds flocked from the treetops, alarmed as well. As I watched them flutter up into the overcast sky, I wished I could fly away too for I did not feel like getting the third degree today.

"Now, Alice," Carlisle warned. "Let's not judge him. I'm sure Edward had his reasons. Although, I wish you would have mentioned something before. I find your revelation quite extraordinary."

"I did not conceal it from you on purpose," I explained. "It just never came up."

"So you know absolutely nothing?" Alice pouted.

"Well, I read Isabella's friend, Angela's thoughts and she seems to believe that she likes me."

_Perhaps too much,_ I added silently to myself, confronted once again with the kink in my friendship plan.

Alice clapped her hands. "Yay! See, I told you this would all work out!"

"How about the rest of you?" Carlisle asked.

Jasper groaned. "This one particular female in one of my classes kept ogling me. It was quite unsettling. Jessica Stanley, her name is. I gave her a few weird looks but she didn't get the hint. She is such a strange one – dresses like a streetwalker."

Alice threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, honey. I'm sure many females at that school were intrigued by you. Will you _ever _admit that you're extremely handsome?"

Jasper shrugged. It did not matter how many females were attracted to him. He only had eyes for Alice.

"Wait, a minute!" Rose piped up. "Streetwalker, you say? With blonde hair, right?"

Jasper nodded.

"I know exactly who you're talking about. She was in my first period class, admiring my Louboutins."

"Anyway," Carlisle chuckled. "Does anyone have anything _else_ to add?"

"I do," Rose huffed. "So Alice, do you know how long this entire process will take? I just want Edward to change this Isabella female so we can be done with this town."

Alice opened her mouth to speak but I did not want to hear what she had to say.

"I am not changing her. I will remain Isabella's friend and that is all," I stated firmly.

The silence that enveloped the forest was deafening, and then the tirades began in their internal thoughts. Everyone had something to say except Carlisle who placed his hands in the pockets of his lab coat and looked to the ground, rendering his mind completely blank.

Rose was the first one with the courage to speak aloud. "Do you actually think that with your looks, charm and palpable affection for her that she won't fall in love with you and that you can remain just her friend?"

I looked directly into her angry gold eyes. "Yes."

Rose scoffed. "You're delusional."

"No, I am not."

"Yes, you are, if you expect to withhold who you really are from her and deny her love."

"It will work. It has to."

"So now what?" she sneered, gesturing with her hands, emphasizing her dissatisfaction over the situation. "I did not sign up for this and I refuse to stay here while you play your little game. The plan was to make Isabella one of us and get out of here in a timely manner. I really don't think you've thought your plan through, Edward. You _thought_ you did but I have a feeling now that you've met Isabella, things have changed, am I right? You aren't so sure you can just remain her friend anymore. The reality is that if you don't tell her what you are and make her your mate, then you will have to leave her. This is nothing new - we have been eluding the humans this way for years. Are you telling us that you're willing to walk away in a few years and go back to watching her from afar? I don't think so."

"If I have to leave her life in a few years time so she does not grow suspicious, then yes. I will sacrifice my happiness for her."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Oh, how noble of you. Then why did we move to Forks in the first place? Just so you can have a few years with her? That doesn't make any sense. And what if she graduates in the spring and goes away to college - are you going to follow her? For a vampire who believes he is _all-knowing, _you really like to make things hard on yourself. What is it about the word _destiny_ that you do not understand? Alice said you're going to fall in love with Isabella, tell her what you really are, she's going to love you back, and you're going to change her. End of story, happily ever after. Blah, blah, blah. Got it? It's going to happen - get that through your head! It's just up to you whether you drag out the inevitable or not. You love her already and from what you've told us, she's well on her way to loving you. So what makes you think you can pick and chose how this all plays out, by accepting some of Alice's prophecy while rejecting the rest? "

"Rosalie, please, you are not helping," Carlisle interjected.

She whipped her head around to face him, her upper lip curling off her teeth and a low growl rumbling in her chest. "No, I am going to have my say. For years, the six of us have tip-toed around Edward. He's the brooding one, the isolated one, don't judge him, just let him be and be there for him when he needs it – and all that other crap. And it only got worse after the trial, as if he was some sort of martyr. We are all grateful for what he did but that doesn't mean we owe him for the rest of eternity. Then Alice gets this vision and for the first time ever, there's hope for him and we were _excited _for him. So what do we do? We move to this ridiculously boring town so he can finally have happiness and he has to pull his typical emo behavior, self-deprecating stuff and refuse to accept his destiny, which is basically being handed to him on a gold platter." She turned to me. "Why must you make things so difficult all the time?"

Jasper emitted calmness in an attempt to control our overwrought emotions but I glared him, wanting to hear what Rose and the others had to say - what was _really_ on their minds, because evidently, they had been holding out on me.

"Not now," I growled. He pulled back and bowed his head, conceding to my request.

"Well, I am glad you think it is so easy to take a human life," I argued. "Remember, Rose, I never killed humans like you did after you were changed - before you found Emmett and Carlisle - and I am not about to start now. I may not have a soul, but I have morals."

Her lower lip trembled and her eyes darkened. "How dare you?! You know how difficult that time was for me!"

I shrugged. "I will not change Isabella. You could have just utilized the humans for food back then like Alice, Jasper and Emmett did but you chose to kill them as well. Just remember - I am not like you. I am not a murderer of human beings."

With a fierce snarl and a vicious curse, Rose lunged at me, sending the two of us flying through the air. She pinned me up against a massive pine tree before I had a chance to react. I let her take me without a fight, the impact sending splinters flying in all directions and causing red, orange and yellow leaves to float down around us. The ground rumbled beneath us and the rest of our coven was quickly behind her. But their presence did not deter her actions. She tightened her grip on my throat, refusing to let go as she levelled her eyes with mine.

The four of them could overpower her within a fraction of a second, but they had yet to do so. I had a feeling they wanted me to hear her comments because they were not just her thoughts, instead, the words they all wanted to say but were too afraid to speak to me directly.

"Now you listen to me, Edward," she hissed. "For decades, I've been concerned about you - we _all_ were. You were withdrawn and sad all the time and it hurt us to see you that way."

She leaned into me further as Emmett tugged on her arm, begging her to release me.

"Do you have any idea what we've dealt with all of these decades? The worry? You spent all of your time focusing on yourself and you never once thought about how it affected us. And now you're doing it again. And what about Isabella? Don't you think it will kill her when you decide to walk away, considering she's going to be deeply in love with you? Did you ever think about that? As for the six of us - you devised your little plan without thinking about how it impacted our existence. We're a family. I know you never thought of us this way, but that's how we've always looked at things. That means that your decisions do not just affect you. We love you and have always wanted to see you happy, and now here is your chance. I beg of you, dear brother, don't mess it up."

With one final angry shove, sending the back of my head slamming into the trunk, Rose growled and released me. Rubbing my neck, I pushed myself away from the tree and looked at my coven as they stood in a semi-circle before me.

I stared at the five of them, unsure of how to respond. It was not as easy as they thought. Jasper and Alice were already vampires when they found each other. When Carlisle found me and Rosalie found Emmett, we were at death's door. The decision had been easier. But today as I saw Isabella's soul shine through when she stared at me, I could not picture those gorgeous, dark brown eyes turning red, and her essence disappearing forever. She would not be the same Isabella anymore – the one I had fallen in love with. That was my greatest fear.

Black crows circled, squawking loudly. We had successfully cleared the forest around us of all other living creatures. Although we possessed the highest hierarchy, that did not mean we were revered and envied. Vampires were feared and no living thing wanted to associate with us – _be_ us, by choice. The same would stand for Isabella.

The sun emerged from its hiding place and streamed down into the clearing, creating a warm, angelic glow around my coven, banding them together as though they were heavenly beings instead of vampires without souls, while I remained shaded by a tall pine tree. The sparkling rays reflected off of their pale skin and gold eyes as they started at me.

They shut their minds off to me, awaiting my response and as a dark cloud rolled in, once again enveloping them in shadows, I looked to the grey sky, as though it could provide me with the answers I was so desperately seeking. Was this what I did to my coven - darken their existence with my selfishness, isolation and negativity?

"Does that mean we're leaving Forks right away then?" Emmett asked quietly, breaking the silence.

I shook my head. "I cannot just leave yet-"

"No one is leaving Forks," Carlisle interrupted.

The rest of them nodded.

"I need to speak with Edward alone, please," he requested. "Wait for him by your cars so you can drive back to school together."

I opened my mouth to protest but he shot me a warning look so I chose to remain silent.

Before she took off, Alice looked at me over her shoulder with wide, sorrowful eyes. "I saw it, Edward. I _saw_ it. I know I'm not wrong this time. Please, don't deny yourself this happiness."

I lowered my gaze to the ground and when I looked up, the four of them were gone, disappearing silently into the forest, leaving only Carlisle standing before me.

He sighed. "I know, if anyone, you usually talk to Alice, but please do me a favor and speak with me and tell me what's on your mind. Sometimes, I believe that since you can read others' thoughts, you forget that we cannot read yours."

"What is it that you want me to say?" I asked him when I sensed the rest of our coven was out of earshot.

"I'm just trying to make sense of all this, that is all. But Edward, you are not making it easy for me - for any of us, by concealing your thoughts and concerns and going about this all alone." He stepped toward me and placed his hand on my shoulder but I wriggled myself away from his grip.

"You know, on the way here, I actually felt like I belonged." I laughed as I rolled my eyes. "I raced with the rest of them, carefree, laughing, the whole damn thing. I did not feel like an outsider looking in for once. Now, look how easily they turn against me."

"Edward, they aren't against you," he argued. "They are just confused, as am I, as to why you would deny yourself such great happiness."

"I cannot do it."

He frowned. "I don't understand, Edward. That's why we came to Forks – for you - and we always thought you were on the same page as us."

"I need Isabella in my life but I cannot change her into one of us. That has always been my determination from the very beginning, and I am sorry I kept it from you and the rest of the coven. I just assumed that it would be much simpler that way. But I was so very wrong. My problem is that today I walked into Forks High thinking that I could befriend her and the minute I locked eyes with her in Biology, it was as though my rationale had never existed. I felt an attraction, one so grand, that I never anticipated. It terrifies me."

"You say you don't want to transform her now, but how do you know you won't change your mind? Perhaps when she finds out what you are, she will _want _you to change her – especially if you believe that she already has deep feelings for you after only one meeting. Perhaps it is meant to be as Alice predicted."

I looked at him in disbelief. "How can you say that? How is it so easy for you to encourage taking away a human's life? You told me that after changing me and Esme, you vowed never to change anyone again. So why is it acceptable for me after you preached the opposite to us for so many decades?"

Carlisle looked forlorn as he walked over to the tree Rose and I had destroyed, lost in his own thoughts, and broke off a piece of bark that protruded from the trunk. In one effortless motion, the wood disintegrated into a pile at his feet and he pressed the toe of his loafers into the sawdust. The symbolism was not lost on me. Vampires, if not careful, could destroy anything they touched, and I swore to myself thirteen years ago that I would never destroy Isabella.

"That's easy," he sighed as he turned his attention back to me. I promised that because I had you and Esme. Then, when Rose, Emmett, Alice and Jasper found us, I felt even more complete. I didn't need anyone else. But you- if this is your one chance at the happiness we all have, the light that has been missing in your existence all of these decades, then you have my blessing. We all tried to provide you with joy but we're aware that there are some things that only a mate can cure. That is why I supported this plan from the beginning. As long as the Volturi aren't aware, you're fine. Only they are allowed to change humans and judge who should be vampires, but given your history with them, I feel it best to do it without their knowledge and consent. It _can_ be done or else I never would have suggested it."

I ran my hand through my hair. "You are forgetting one minor detail in this big transformation scheme of yours. _Isabella._ No human, who is not lying on their deathbed, is going to agree to be changed and I am certainly not changing her against her will. Therefore, I _must_ settle for friendship."

"Edward, you had the Spanish Influenza when I met you and you were going to die. I don't know why but I felt connected to you. I know you do not remember your human years, but I remember you and your family then quite vividly as patients on my ward for six months. I knew your parents before they passed on-"

I shook my head with a low hiss. "Please, do _not _talk about my parents. I do not remember them and I wish to keep it that way."

He nodded. "My point is that during my human years, although I don't remember much, I know that I never had any children of my own and when I saw you, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to save you. It was not a decision I took lightly, but selfishly, it is what I wanted. Even to this day, I worry that you are angry with me. I see the way you've gone about your existence - so crestfallen all of the time - and I blame myself. Perhaps I didn't save you after all. I must ask you - do you ever wish I had not completed the transformation?"

That was a loaded question, one I could not answer quickly. Would I have wanted to die at the age of seventeen in Chicago having never seen the world and all it had to offer? Having never had the opportunity to meet Isabella? On the other hand, there was no end in sight for me and perhaps Isabella would be better off if I never existed. Those were questions I never thought to ask myself because there was no reason to. This was it for me, and it was absolutely overwhelming at times but I had just learned to accept it long ago because I had no other choice.

"I suppose," I chose my next words carefully. "There are good times and...not so good times. This existence we have – it is difficult. I cannot say that I wish you had not made your decision because it is already done and that is unfair. I respect you greatly and I am tremendously grateful that you took an interest in me. It is just...difficult."

He nodded, focusing far off in the distance.

"I am still confused though," I continued. "You encourage me to fulfill my destiny, yet the circumstances in which you just described are entirely different from what I am facing with Isabella. I was ill, she is not. Also, if I ever _did _tell her what I was, she would run away, not love me _more_. Can you not see that?"

He sighed and met my gaze. "Edward, I have never told anyone this, and I always made sure to block it from my thoughts whenever you were around because it was not something I ever wanted to bring up to you and the others. I felt it best to make everything black and white so it would be easier for you to adapt and stay away from humans altogether so they would never pose a weakness for you..." His voice trailed off.

My eyes narrowed. "I do not understand."

"When I changed Esme, during the years you took off on your own, she was a happy, healthy, beautiful, thirty-year old woman."

My eyes widened from his staggering confession. I always assumed Esme had been in failing health and the decision had been an easy one for Carlisle like it had been for Rose when she changed Emmett after finding him in the woods, close to death after being mulled by a bear.

I recalled the afternoon I returned from my decade long self-imposed isolation from Carlisle, and found him with a mate. He looked very content, as close to alive as possible for our kind, as though he never harbored any regrets about making Esme one of us.

"I met her while working in the emergency room at a Toronto hospital," he continued. "She was a nurse and I fell in love, and I told myself that I would never seek anything more than friendship. But with each passing day, I craved her more and more and I extended my boundaries from friend, to lover, hoping that each time I altered my plans that would be enough. But it never was. I needed her with me forever."

His declaration felt hauntingly familiar.

"In a moment of insanity, desperation, I suppose," he chuckled nervously before his expression grew solemn once more. "I told her what I was and it was not easy. It's not difficult to imagine that she rejected my truth at first, but then it was much too tough for her to ignore once I showed her proof. The tremendous thing was that her love for me surpassed all of the doubts and fears she had upon hearing the news and she stayed with me."

Carlisle's face lit up in the same manner it did when he was in Esme's presence. The change was dramatic and I wondered what it felt like to have someone who loved you for who you were, and claimed you as their own - chose _you_ over everyone else out there. A mate, who would give up a soul, beating heart, and blood in their veins, to be with you for all of eternity. It was romantic, in a way, similar to how the vampire fiction novels portrayed it to be. For so long I scoffed at the impractical manner in which the authors portrayed our kind. Although I still did not understand the fascination with our breed, I appreciated the sacrifice now as being passionate and noble and not idealistic.

"What's more, Edward, is that Esme _begged_ me to change her," he continued, his stoicism returning. "Of course, when I told her I was a vampire I wished that would be her reaction, but when she actually requested it, I felt guilty, as though I had somehow forced her decision. Before, when she didn't know what I was, she never had that option to consider. So it was my fault – I was somehow encouraging her to die for me and live an existence far.._.different_ from what was normal for her. Such as with you, it was a decision I did not take lightly. I made it clear to her that becoming a vampire was not the only way we could be together. It would have been difficult but she could have remained human and I would have stayed with her until the day she died. I needed to give her that choice after denying you one."

He paused and his gold eyes looked distraught, his face tight.

"She made her decision and I changed her. It was gruesome, horrific, far worse than yours because your body was so weak and you were unconscious for most of it. As I injected my venom into her and watched the transformation take place, I wished I could've taken it back. I kneeled by her bedside, praying to the God that had forsaken me long ago when I was changed, begging Him to reverse it. I felt ill, but now of course, I am glad I did it - selfishly so. My greatest fear, Edward, was that one day she would hate me and tell me she wished I had never done it – as was my fear with you, even though your circumstances were very different."

"But that will never happen. Esme loves you-" The words felt thick as they rolled off my tongue. I now understood why he shared this story with me.

Carlisle smiled. "Exactly."

Was it possible that it would work out for Isabella and I like it had for Carlisle and Esme?

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. "I have already made up my mind. If I turn back now, I will have failed Isabella. Rose is correct. I devised my strategy, believing I knew what I was doing, without realizing how ridiculous it all was. That is a result of my arrogance, I suppose. Now that I am here and I have met Isabella, I realize my mistakes. I let my selfishness guide my actions which brought the six of you here with me, fooling myself into thinking I had everything under control and now it is up to me to fix this with her best interests in mind. It is much more daunting than I ever could have imagined, but I have no choice. You just said that if you never told Esme the truth about you then she never would have had the option to become a vampire and she would have lived and died like a normal human being. That is my plan for Isabella."

"Yes, that is true. The problem though is that I would not have grown older and Esme would have. She would have discovered something was different about me, regardless. So I had to choose – either walk away from her completely or tell her. I chose the latter. I swore that I would never change another human after you and I broke that promise for her because I loved her so greatly and she was willing. Was I weak? Or did that make me strong because I went after something I needed so desperately? I simply cannot say..."

Raking my hand through my hair, I paced back and forth. "What am I supposed to do? My body and mind are saturated with her. Part of me says to just pack up and leave while the other part says stay and try to make it work in other ways. I just – I _need_ to know there are options besides changing her - if for no other reason than to save my sanity - whatever is left of it. Before class this morning, I had no doubt that my plan of friendship would succeed. But you should have seen me in there. I was weak, selfishly enjoying the fact that she was attracted to me, and willing to attack any male without hesitation who approached her or looked at her in any way other than as a classmate."

"Alice's visions predict-"

I held up my hand, halting his words. "I am not discussing that – I am discussing _my _own control over _my _fate - that what_ I_ wish to have happen. Vampires are creatures, but the one thing that sets us apart from the animals that dwell here in this forest is that we have a _choice_. If you take that away from us, we are no better than they are, and I refuse to consider that our kind does not have some redeeming qualities. If I did not have this hope, I would have ended my existence myself decades ago. Please, do not take that belief away from me now."

"Granted, you have a choice, but you're much too attached to Isabella to leave now, even though you told Rose you would sacrifice your happiness for hers."

I clenched my jaw as I focused on the dense forest around the clearing where we stood. "You are right. I will admit that now. I cannot leave at this time, considering that we have just arrived - not after I waited _thirteen years_ for this - and quite possibly, I may never be able to leave her. But does that mean my only option is to change her? Surely, there must be another way?!"

He nodded. "Perhaps."

"I wish it was possible for Emmett to erase vampire memories as well as humans, that way he could erase mine and Isabella would not unknowingly be stuck in the middle of all of this. If she only knew about our conversation, she would be furious at us for deciding her fate based on what Alice said. She has been wrong in the past and we all know her visions shift as the people involved change their minds. Well, I have changed my mind, so that has to have some impact, correct?"

"Alice is never wrong and that one time was under very unique circumstances. You know that," he reasoned.

"It does not matter. She was still wrong. Just please, Carlisle," I stepped towards him. "Tell me there is another way, just so I feel that I have options."

"You mean if Isabella falls in love with you, as you believe is already happening, and discovers out what you are and remains with you as a human?"

"Yes."

He sighed. "Well, it is not common or accepted by the Volturi because of the risk involved to our kind and the secrets we harbor, but it _is_ possible to be with a human. You must take extra care, of course, as I did for the two years I was with Esme before I changed her, but it can be done. But you must think though – if you two fall in love and venture into that territory, will you marry her, make love to her, and be able to one day watch her die? Throughout my years as a physician, I have seen what humans go through when handling the death of a loved one. It is extremely agonizing for them."

I thought about Mr. Banner's sickly wife and how difficult it was for him to see her that way. Even though I considered myself an emotionally strong vampire, I did not know if I could handle that - not when it came to Isabella.

"And if Isabella does one day request the change, would you do it?" Carlisle continued. "You must know that if she's adamant in her decision and you refuse, that may cause a strain on your relationship far greater than the pressure you would face if you agreed to go through with it."

"So, basically, you are saying that without a clean break, my relationship with Isabella is going to be complicated, no matter what boundaries I set for us, and that the easiestoption would be to change her, if she in fact, falls in love with me and accepts what I am."

He sighed. "Edward, we all thought that you were going to be alone forever. So we came to Forks under the impression that this would solve everything. If this human is your only shot at happiness and she consents to it, I believe you should do it - and yes, it will make things easier for you in the long run because if you walk away, things will only get worse for you, not better, regardless of whether you believe it was in Isabella's best interests."

"Aside from your principle that love conquers all, I am still afraid that she will regret her decision," I replied. "There is no going back once it is done. She is young. The opportunity to live eternally may seem appealing to her now, however if you ask an older human they will tell you that they are not interested in existing forever."

"Yes, but elderly humans are usually in poor health and tired," he reasoned. "Give them the opportunity to never suffer from any ailments or feel weary, and then provide them with the chance to live forever and they may change their tune. My advice to you is that if you do decide to go the vampire route with Isabella then you must explain the consequences to her as plainly as possible, without the idealism that accompanies any books or films she may be familiar with. That is all you can do. And then there is a better chance of her making an informed decision."

"I still do not know what I am comfortable with. So what is my next step? I have never felt so conflicted."

"Well, now that you are aware of the different options, take it one day at a time and see how it progresses. Personally, I would bet that Isabella falls in love with you, finds out who you really are, _and_ chooses to stay with you because that is what Alice predicted, but if you are determined to write your own destiny, then continue on as you are and take your cues from Isabella - let _her_ guide you and see where it leads. Things may progress in such a way that this will all make sense and your decision will be made for you. You just have to wait and see. Do not get me wrong, I am not discounting your concerns. They are valid, especially since you love her. I suppose we all just became a little too excited and jumped the gun without speaking with you first. This meeting should have occurred years ago under less stressful circumstances. I blame myself for not organizing it sooner. Perhaps then you would not be in this position and you would have a better understanding of how this should go."

"I have enough blame to go around. Please do not burden yourself for something that is not your fault."

Carlisle toyed with his stethoscope which he carried for show, admiring the diaphragm as the re-emerging sun reflected off the metal, creating a brilliant display of white light across his sharp features. "All I am saying is that we are in this together. Not just as a coven of vampires, but a family. Understand?"

"Yes."

And I did. All of these years I was part of a family and never appreciated it. First thing I had to do was make amends with the rest of them.

Carlisle checked his wristwatch. "I apologize but I must return to the hospital."

I nodded. "We have class at one so we must leave as well – that is, if they are still waiting for me." They were far enough away that I could not tell.

"You know they are," he replied softly.

I hoped he was correct.

Just as I was about to take off, Carlisle placed his hand on my shoulder and this time I did not pull away. "Will you be hunting with us tomorrow night? I really hope you will consider it. We've quite liked having you go out with us these past two months."

"I am not sure..."

"Your eyes look darker and by tomorrow there will be hints of red in them. You must feed soon."

"Let me think about it. If not, I promise I will go out on my own."

Truthfully, I did not know if the rest of the coven wanted me to hunt with them anymore.

"And Edward?" I glanced at him, his gold, sympathetic eyes piercing into mine. "Please do not tell the others about the circumstances regarding Esme's transformation. I do not want them to think poorly of me after I've preached to them all of these years about self-control. They'd understand if you changed Isabella, but I'm not too sure they would extend the same courtesy to me."

I jammed my fists into my pockets, my right hand finding my car keys. "Yes, of course."

There was no way that the rest of them would ever regard Carlisle poorly, but he entrusted me with his secret and I would not breach that trust. I owed him a lot.

"I also want to apologize to you," I added. "Your situation was similar to Rosalie's after you were changed and you turned yourself around as well. My comments were out of line."

"We all make mistakes, Edward. I would say that's only human but I'm afraid that my attempt humor will be lost on you." We both chuckled. "It is how remorseful you are afterwards that sets things right again."

"You are correct, as always. I will have a talk with Rose before we drive back to school."

Carlisle nodded and took off, and I followed the scents of the rest of my coven in the opposite direction, leading me back to my vehicle.

I was relieved when I saw Jasper, Alice, Rose and Emmett waiting for me at the side of the deserted road, silent in both their internal and external thoughts. I approached them slowly, studying their inquisitive, wary looks.

"This is a difficult time for me," I began as I stopped before them. "I thought I had everything under control and now I am not so sure. I was wrong to isolate you all as though this was only affecting me."

I paused, trying to determine how to speak the thoughts that were on my mind. My words sounded stiff but I was not accustomed to opening up to others this way. I just hoped they could detect the sincerity in my statements. At times, it would be easier for them to have my gift as well. Perhaps then they would have understood me better all of these decades.

"You gave up big city life to come here and I never told you outright how much I appreciated it, even though I was truly grateful to all of you all along. I expected you to put up with my moods without divulging any of the details as to why I was feeling this way and it was not right of me to do so. I never meant it as an insult or as any form of disrespect. It was just not customary for me. I will work on it, I promise. So ask you all now - will you please accept my deepest apologies?"

The final sentence barely left my mouth before Alice wrapped her arms around me. "I love you, Edward," she cried into my wool jacket. I was relieved that I had not destroyed our relationship beyond repair.

When she released me, I offered my hand to Jasper which he accepted eagerly with a smile. "We will see you back at the school, then."

I nodded and he guided Alice to the Porsche.

Emmett looked nervous as he looked back and forth between me and his mate. His thoughts informed me that he was prepared to spring into action if our things got out of hand. But not to defend Rosalie - she could hold her own. He was more concerned about me if her anger got the best of her. He knew, as did I, that she was a force to be reckoned with and that I would accept whatever she gave me without a fight as I did earlier.

"Rosie?" I approached her apprehensively.

Emmett stiffened, but I felt no aggression radiating from her. Without saying a word, she stepped forward and enveloped me in a hug. She rubbed circles on my back and I breathed in her familiar aroma which was mixed with Emmett's bonding scent. It was ordinary, such as all vampire scents were to others of our kind, and I wondered briefly what it would be like to bury my face into Isabella's brown locks as I held her tight, overdosing on her drug that intoxicated me greatly even from afar. My mind roamed, entertaining thoughts about how her scent would smell mixed with mine, a warning to all other males that she belonged to me and I to her.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Rose asked as she stepped away from me.

I chuckled as did Emmett, who had relaxed now that he was sure there was no threat of a hostile confrontation.

"No, you did not. But if you had, I would have deserved it. I never should have spoken to you that way. How you turned lifestyle around like that amazes me. Your willpower is tremendous and I have always admired your strength. Carlisle changed me and I have always fed from animals so I have never had to deal with anything close to what you did. If I had, I cannot say that I would have had the ability to change. Alice, Jasper and Emmett fed from humans at first after their change but they never had to worry about taking it too far like you did. Not only were you able to control your murderous impulses, but you also transferred from humans to animals. That must have been very difficult for you."

She nodded and brushed a tattered leaf from my coat. "It was. And I never wanted you to look down on me for my past mistakes. That's why I went after you. Your words hurt me very much."

"Never again will I speak to you that way," I vowed. "You have my word."

Nodding, she brushed her blonde hair from her face and walked toward her vehicle, leaving me alone with Emmett.

I raised my hand towards him and balled it into a fist, just like I should have done back in the hall at school. His eyes lit up and he mirrored my action, connecting his fist with mine.

"Excellent," he chuckled as we dropped our hands. "Now we are officially cool, Forks style."

"I wish that were more of a compliment," I laughed.

"Did you just crack _another _joke?" he teased.

"I don'tknow, man, maybe." I replied, mimicking his style and trying not to smile.

"_Don't_?" Emmett looked bemused. "Did I just hear you correctly? You actually used a contraction and not the proper form of_ do not _and called me_ man__?_ There may be hope for you after all! When we hit the late 1960s I thought for sure you would adapt to the terminology. Once the 1980s came along and you were still as square as ever, I'd given up. I always thought that maybe you were doing it to piss us off or something. Now that I know it was just the real you, I don't know what's worse," he kidded.

He was right. I prided myself on proper speech and I refused to bludgeon the English language by using popular slang terms, or worse, writing in those abhorrent short forms that humans used when typing on the computer or on their cell phones. But if I was going interact with Isabella from now on, there would have to be some compromises - although I would never take it as far as some of our schoolmates.

"Yes, I suppose it is time I took your advice and loosened up just a bit."

Emmett clapped his hands together, "That's great, Edward. I feel so proud that I was able to knock some sense into you. Or maybe Rose did that when she slammed you into that tree," he chuckled. "Anyway, while we're on a roll, let's try something else. Say _awesome_."

"Awesome." I repeated with a grin. I was shocked that it did not feel quite as awkward as I assumed it would.

"Good, that's good," he exclaimed as he scratched his head, searching for the next word. In his excitement, he forgot to shut his mind to me and I smirked as I scanned his mental list with him. "Got it," he snapped his fingers. I already knew what he was going to say but I played along. "How about _dude_?"

"Dude."

I heard Alice, Jasper and Rose snickering from their vehicles.

Emmett stared at me, bewildered. As a vampire, he had seen many things in his time, so the fact that he found me so amusing at this moment emphasized just how stiff I really was. Had Isabella sensed this during our encounter in Biology as well?

"Well, would you look at that?" he mused. "Next thing I know, you'll be cussing like a sailor."

"Sorry, but I will never be that crass."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on Edward. They're just words. Just say _one_ swear word."

He repeated a particularly harsh curse word in his mind and I scoffed.

"No, I think I have had enough lessons for today. Next thing I know, I will be speaking just as ill-mannered as the males at our school. There has got to be a balance somewhere."

"Okay, okay," he chuckled. "Man, this Isabella is going to fall for you even harder now that I've presented you with the Emmett dictionary and completed my preliminary teachings. You better watch out."

"Yes, the _man_ and _dude _will come in especially handy when I am speaking with her, I am sure," I replied with a smile.

He slung his arm over my shoulders and ruffled my hair. "Another joke? That's gotta be a record for you. Anyway, we better head back. We don't want detention on our first day of school."

I nodded as he gave me a playful shove towards my vehicle.

Emmett laughed and approached the driver's side of the BMW, while Rose uncharacteristically waited for him patiently in the passenger seat. After removing all traces of bark from my clothing, hair and skin, and checking that all of my wounds were healed, I sat down in my Vantage, turned on the engine and peeled off down the road.

The sounds of Beethoven blared from my speakers, soothing me, as I led my coven back to the high school and we pulled into the parking lot with ten minutes to spare before third period.

Jasper barely had enough time to put the car into park before Alice jumped out of the vehicle. "I'll see you later!" she called as the rest of us looked at her questioningly. She had that familiar look in her eye that she possessed when she was up to something.

I grabbed my school bag and exited my Vantage, meeting Rose, Jasper and Emmett by the Porsche amongst the stares of the few students in the parking lot.

A soggy orange flyer, plastered to the ground, caught Emmett's eye and he bent down to retrieve it. He grinned as he held it up for Rosalie to see. "Hey, baby, you do want to go to this tonight?"

She scoffed as she read the caption. "Mike's Rockin', Scary Halloween Bash? How lame."

"Really? I think it might be fun!"

She rolled her eyes and stalked off towards the school. The same old Rose we all knew and loved.

"Okay..." Emmett chuckled. "I guess that's a no." He dropped the flyer to the ground. "Alright, I'll see you two later."

Jasper and I bumped fists with him, appeasing his latest fad.

"_You see, Edward. Progress,"_ Emmett exclaimed in his mind as he took off after his mate.

I shook my head at his antics and Jasper gave me a confused look, knowing he had missed out on some sort of internal comment from Emmett. The two of us headed toward the school and when we entered, Jasper told me he would see me in the parking lot at three because his class was in the opposite direction of mine.

This allowed me enough time to stop by my locker, just in case Isabella was there. As I approached number 157, her potent jasmine scent invaded my senses. She had been here recently, but to my locker, not hers, most likely to drop off her Biology notes.

I did not need to utilize my locker but I wanted to hold the notes in my hand, knowing that they had been in hers moments ago. Upon opening my locker, I scanned the inside and found not only the photocopied notes, but an additional piece of bright orange paper resting on the floor. It was the same flyer that Emmett found in the parking lot, advertising the party that the students in Biology were discussing.

I bent down and picked it up and my acute eyesight picked up on some additional writing on the back. I flipped it over, scanning the note. It was in her handwriting. I knew that from studying her in class.

_Edward,_

_You're new to town and I know how that feels. If you're not busy, (I'm sure you are since it's Halloween but anyway...) if you have a chance, I think it would be great if you came to Mike's party tonight. You could meet a lot of new people and it shouldn't be too lame...okay, maybe it will be, but what else is there to do in Forks on a Friday night, right? (ha ha)_

_Hope to see you there, Bella (your Bio lab partner)_

Bella.

I repeated her name in my head and then whispered it softly, loving how it rolled so effortlessly off of my tongue. She had signed Bella, which surprised me. Did she prefer to be called Bella instead of Isabella? I would have to inquire into that.

I made an error in Biology by using her first name when she had not yet told me what it was but luckily, she did not seem to pick up on it. Nevertheless, it was another way that I had to be more careful. Usually, I was meticulous with blending in and not drawing suspicion but this woman had me feeling things and acting in ways I never had before. I had to be vigilant in my word choices and actions until I knew for sure if I was going to tell her I was a vampire or not.

As I clutched the flyer in my hand, the invitation Isabella sent to me personally, I had a suspicion that I had been invited for a reason far greater than what she had ever considered.

Based on my hunch and the fact that Isabella would be present, there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that I would attend tonight.

I certainly found the humor in the reality that unbeknownst to her, Isabella would be socializing with a real vampire at a Halloween party.

_Man_, if that _wasn't_ _awesome_, _dude_, than I did not know what was.

* * *

**A/N Don't you love Carlisle and his helpful insight? Knocking Edward down a couple of pegs seemed to do the trick, maybe. Bella up next. **

**Leave me sugar!____________**


	10. Lost in the Green of His Eyes

**A/N Hello lovelies!**

**MissAlex writes the man who shall not be named and Larin20 writes Bella and her aversion to Top Forty Pop Music. **

**SM owns, we play.**

**Chapter Nine: Lost in the Green of His Eyes**

_**Bella**_

Pulling into my driveway, my truck sputtered to a stop and I breathed a sigh of relief that I made it home in one piece. I was exhausted and the last thing I needed was to push this hunk of junk down the road. I shifted into park and placed my head against the headrest, rubbing my tired eyes, a soft moan escaping from my lips.

_Hey_

Who says _hey_ to a hot guy?

I hadn't seen Edward since first period but he still saturated every one of my thoughts. I couldn't get over my embarrassing greeting. I could've whispered seductively, in my best smoky sex voice, _'Nice to meet you, Edward._'

I could've purred his name and flashed him a dazzling smile, but no, instead of coming across as a confident woman, I said _hey_. I might as well have said _wassup_, or something stupid like that.

I hit my forehead with my palm in an attempt to try to shake away my lameness, but I had a hunch it was embedded into my brain permanently. Why couldn't I be confident when speaking with Edward Cullen like I was with all the other guys I'd spoken to in my life before he waltzed into my Biology class? In his midst, I felt like a bumbling moron with marbles in my mouth.

Even when I said his name to _myself,_ I got goosebumps, and my heart had a hard time beating within the confines of my rib cage.

A crush? Was that what it was? It felt strange to say that, like I should call it more than a crush.

_Hmm...._

Maybe Angela was right. Maybe Edward was interested in me. Maybe he was _The One_. I wouldn't have any more information until the party tonight, _if_ he decided to show up.

Up until this point, I was fine not being pinned down to a guy. I was more than satisfied with my life. I didn't have the dating drama that Jessica always talked about and I didn't have to a reason to roll my eyes at my boyfriend's goofiness like Angela did with Ben. I was an okay looking girl, not gorgeous like the Cullen sisters, but I made up for it with my biting wit. I thought I had my head on straight but the moment Edward walked into class today, I second-guessed that confidence and my biting wit turned into word vomit.

I'd seen one of his brothers, Emmett, in my fourth period class and his sister Rosalie asked me for a pen in third period, and their confidence and grace made me even more insecure.

I had to cut this out.

"Ahh! So stupid! " I chastised myself, holding back a frustrated scream. "North Face…"

I rested my forehead against the steering wheel and I rolled it from side to side, trying to rub the lameness away, yet again, to no avail.

"Of course, he wears Armani," I mumbled. "He's Edward freaking Cullen, the most perfect man alive. It's obvious he's more Neiman Marcus than Sears."

The problem was I was definitely more of a Sears type of gal, maybe Macy's on a good day. But never Neiman Marcus. Hell, who was I kidding - Target or TJ Maxx was more my style. Discount, but not too cheap. Definitely very wearable.

Wow, I just made myself sound incredibly slutty. _Great._

Speaking of low priced wonderlands, I hoped that Angela picked up my costume from the store like I asked. She was heading over to the shop to buy a last minute addition to her own costume so she offered to grab mine too. I gave her specific instructions on which one I wanted. I'd selected it over two weeks ago, choosing the safest bet they had. A witch.

This year, I didn't feel like going overboard with a costume. It was black, obviously, complete with a tall pointy hat, a long black tattered dress, and striped socks. I decided to forgo the green face paint and nose warts, just in case you-know-who decided to show up.

I wondered what Alice would wear tonight. Something amazing, I was sure. Even though she was perfect like the other Cullens, there was something about her that made me feel at ease. I didn't know much about her but she made me feel welcome with her cheery disposition and willingness to want to help me with my 'guy troubles' when we'd only just met.

Just think - the new girl was making _me_ feel welcome. Talk about a role reversal.

But what really intrigued and concerned me was that Edward told her about me. The nonchalant way she mentioned it before she left the restroom gave me no reason to think it was something bad but maybe she was just trying to be nice.

Hopefully, I would find out more tonight.

I was glad that I planted that note in Edward's locker but at the same time, I was scared shitless that I was too forward.

With my luck, Edward probably told Alice that I was a sputtering fool who blushed too much and didn't know department store clothing from designer duds. Or maybe, he told her how he couldn't take his eyes off me because of my alluring beauty and captivating scent. Ha!

The least I wished for was that Edward told her I was sweet for offering to photocopy my notes for him and I hoped that was enough of a boost to get Alice to encourage him to come the party along with her other brother, Jasper.

Still, I wondered if Edward got my invite in the first place or if he just threw it away without seeing my note on the back. Those flyers were plastered everywhere around town so it was possible that he thought some random person put it in there.

"Oh, shut up, Bella," I muttered to myself. I had to stop putting myself down and thinking the worst when it came to him. Wasn't it proven somewhere, in some study, that guys liked girls with confidence? I had to remember who I was before Edward showed up - a strong, secure woman who didn't need affirmation from a gorgeous guy to feel self-assured.

A breathtakingly gorgeous guy...

A devastatingly gorgeous guy...

A perfect, gorgeous...

"Ugh!" I moaned to myself again, allowing the steering wheel to hold up my fragile ego.

I opened my eyes, sat up straight and placated myself. I wasn't going to be like the others girls in school. I overheard many of them talking today about how hot Edward was and how he carried himself so mysteriously. I saw the lust in their eyes and I was jealous that they dared to say such things out loud without fear.

I mean, I made Angela and Jessica promise not to use his name in public so that he wouldn't think I was just another sheep in his flock, just in case he overheard our conversations, while the other girls were so open about it.

I didn't want to be _that girl_. I didn't want to be included in the brothel of women that followed his every move just so they could get him into bed. I wanted more from him than that. So much more.

I just had to stay true to myself and be Bella, or in his words, _Isabella._

God, the way my name rolled off his tongue sounded so beautiful. He made simple words sound like symphonies. I heard one girl say that his voice reminded her of velvet, smooth and charismatic, and she was right. I wanted to hear it again and again. Heck, he could recite the alphabet and I'd melt.

I wondered how it would feel like to have him whisper in my ear or to feel his cool touch against my skin again, which oddly enough, ignited a burning sensation inside me. It was so familiar yet so foreign to me at the same time because I'd never been touched that way by any boy before and had that kind of involuntary reaction.

Unfortunately, as much as I enjoyed his touch, I noticed he recoiled pretty darn fast. That alone worried me. But it wouldn't be too far-fetched to believe that he felt the strong static shock emitting from my arm that I did. Monday, I would have to remember to wear my running shoes instead of hard soles, just for fun, in case our skin happened to meet again.

The big _if._

If it didn't happen, maybe I could purposely brush against him.

I sighed to myself for the umpteenth time today. I was truly losing it.

Today was supposed to be a fun day, not a nerve-racking one, full of second guesses and embarrassing situations. I had to get myself together. Edward aside, I had the party to get ready for and Angela's company to look forward to. I was going to continue on and be happy with or without Edward Cullen.

However, before I knew what I was doing, I tented my hands in front of me in prayer, only I didn't know if God was going to listen to such idiocy.

"Please…" I whispered. "If by any small miracle, Edward Cullen happens to show up tonight, will you please, Lord, let me not fall on my face or sputter like a fool in front of him." I squeezed my eyes closed. "Also, if there is a remote chance that he wants to be friends with me, I would like that very much. Or more than friends would be cool too. But, I know you work in mysterious ways so I guess I'll let you surprise me." I raised my hands to my lips. "And God, just one more thing - forgive me for any impure thoughts I have of him because let's face, it's gonna happen."

A knock on my driver's side window made me jump. I opened one eye, and then the other, looking at my visitor in my peripheral.

It was my father.

Perfect freakin' timing.

Sheepishly, I lowered my hands and forced a smile.

"Bells, are you praying?" he asked, squinting through the window as he scratched his mustache.

How the heck was I going to explain this one?

Yeah, um, dad, I was praying. Not for World Peace or the stop of global warming, but for the new kid, Edward Cullen, to like me.

Yeah, that wouldn't go over well.

"Um, hold on dad."

Gathering my bag, I opened the door and slid out of my seat. I threw my backpack over my shoulder and looked shyly up into my father's eyes as he towered over me, slamming the rickety car door behind me.

My family wasn't very religious. We only went to church on Christmas with my Gran when I was a kid and although my mom always preached that she was in touch with her inner goddess, I highly doubted that she meant the same thing as most people did when they referred themselves as spiritual.

Nevertheless, I believed in a higher power, fate, the whole shebang, if you will. For some reason, deep in my heart, I felt that there was something greater at work, guiding what happened to me in my life. But there was no way I could ever try and explain that to my father.

My faith was established in the last year so I was kind of late in the game, but still, I guess it was better late than never. It all started after my dad had his heart attack. When the Seattle doctors told my mother and me that there was a chance he wouldn't make it, I felt numb and in my shocked state, I wandered into the hospital chapel.

The place was vacant except for me, but strangely enough, I didn't feel alone. There was some sort of unseen presence that blanketed me with the comfort that I was missing at the time. For the first time in my life, I kneeled and asked God, or whoever listened up there, to help my father. I cried and let my tears cascade freely down my face, knowing that if my dad died, my mother and I would fall apart.

I felt hopeless that I couldn't do more to save him except talk to myself and hope that someone else was hearing my pleas. The doctors gave up on my father but I wouldn't.

As I sobbed in my hands, I felt a gentle touch upon my shoulder. I looked up and saw a woman staring down at me with kindness in her eyes. Her cross dangled in my face as she bent down and hugged me.

"_My dear, things aren't always what they seem," she whispered, releasing me and pointing toward the front of the chapel. "You are not alone. Don't be afraid, because He isn't. A prayer can go a long way. You just have to believe in what you're praying for and He will listen." _

_The saintly woman, with her gray hair pulled back into a bun and a warm smile on her wrinkled face, sat next to me and took my hand in hers, stroking my knuckles._

"_What if he doesn't make it? What if I lose him?" I cried softly._

"_Child, life is about love and loss. You have to lose in order to gain what's most dear. It might not be an easy thing to accept at the time, but just know that He has a plan for us all. You just have to have faith that He knows what's best for you."_

"_What do you mean lose? Lose what?"_

"_Whatever happens, don't be afraid, my dear," she smiled. "Love always shows us the way. It's planted in us before we're born, our destiny. We're fated for it and what the future holds is out of our hands. You just have to accept that and allow it to happen. Have faith, child. Faith will help guide you."_

_The soft spoken woman rose and placed one last re-affirming touch to my shoulder before exiting the chapel. Her words rang clear in my head as I attempted to decipher her speech._

_The message I deduced from her words was this: Faith means not just believing in God, but about believing in myself as well and accepting my destiny, no matter how life-altering it may be. _

After the woman left, I prayed not only for my for my father's health but for my future and my soul as well.

My father didn't die like they assumed he would. He recovered, his illness cementing my mother's decision for us to leave Seattle, and we moved to Forks. Ever since then, I always wondered what fate held for me because it still wasn't clear yet. The woman from the chapel, my fleeting angel, perhaps, instilled that idea in me. I still wasn't sure if it was deeply rooted in me before I was born or if certain events changed my destiny on a daily basis, but I'd learned to accept what came to me. It was the only way to live in peace and feel fulfilled. Complete.

"If you think you need to go to church, you can always ask your mother to go with you," Charlie suggested, looking quite uncomfortable with the subject. My father always avoided the topic of religion or secular terminology in general. "You know, your mother was always more into that mystical stuff than I was," he continued. "She read _Lord of the Rings_ and _The Hobbit_."

I rolled my eyes with a smile. My dad and I were more alike than I thought. Here I was, selfishly asking God to make a boy like me while he was discussing Middle Earth. We were both nuts. At least I knew where I got it from.

"Dad, that's so stupid. I wasn't praying to Frodo," I giggled.

"I know that," he smirked. "I was just poking fun there, Bells. But seriously, if you want to start going to church, saying grace before dinner, or becoming a nun, you should talk to your mother. You know how I feel about church."

My father was a devout believer that you could find your own church anywhere. His church just so happened to be out on his boat, on the open water, and his form of prayer was asking for the 'big one' to bite down on his hook.

"I'm fine, dad. Really, I don't want to become a nun," I teased as I walked around him toward the front door. "What are you doing home anyway?" I asked over my shoulder.

"I came home early to spend some time with my ladies, and then it's back out on the road again." He stepped behind me while I fished my house keys out of my bag. "There's not much action in this town, but I suspect since it's Halloween and all, I have a fun night of knicker-knocking and TP busts ahead of me," he chuckled.

"Hey, you asked for a quiet town," I reminded him. I walked into the foyer with him following close behind and deposited my book bag and keys on the hall table. When my father didn't reply, I turned around and found him rubbing the back of his neck, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

He removed his uniform coat and hung it up on the pegs on the wall by the front door, locking his eyes with mine and exhaling a deep breath. "Bella, I'm sorry we brought you to this Podunk town. I know it's been hard on you to adjust to the small town way of life, worse than what it has been like for your mother and me because we're older…anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I think about that every day." He put his hands on my shoulders. "We asked a lot of you. You left your friends behind…"

I held up my hand. "Dad, stop. I don't regret coming here. It's what was best for your health, and that's all I needed to hear to want to leave Seattle. And hey, I still email and text my old friends when I want to talk to them. I've met some great people at Forks High so I don't feel like I've lost anything." I looked down at my feet. "We almost lost you and that would've been much worse. I never want to go through that again."

"Bella, can you look at me?" Charlie placed his forefinger under my chin and tilted my head up. "You're never going to feel that way again," he grinned. "Because I don't plan on kicking the bucket until I'm in my hundreds."

I couldn't help but smile back at him. "You swear?"

"I swear on my boat and I'll even cross my poor old heart." He dragged his fingers over his Forks police badge.

"Wow! Dad, that's some serious swearing." I raised my eyebrows, beaming from ear to ear. My father and I always had a very playful relationship. We could banter back and forth for hours and annoy my mother to no end. "Your boat, huh? You sure you can back that up?"

"Well, if you keep on praying to _Frodo_, I don't think I'll have a problem," he joked.

I rolled my eyes. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Never!" he laughed as he walked down the hallway.

"Ugh, you're so infuriating!"

"That's what parents are for. I love you, Bells!" he shouted from the kitchen. "Now go do your homework so it's done before you head out to that party night."

"Right…homework…" I muttered as I made my way upstairs. I seriously needed a nap after the day I had.

Upon entering my bedroom, I took off my coat and tossed it to the floor before throwing myself onto my comfy bed. Closing my eyes, I sighed, and before I knew it, I was out, homework be damned.

***

_I push my way through the dense forest, the luscious, green foliage brushing against my bare arms as my sundress floats behind me. I look down at my feet, admiring my dainty footwear and painted toes nails, wondering where I obtained such pretty clothes._

_But my mind is not distracted for long. I am on a quest. I need to find him. _

_Who _he_ is, I am not sure. I just know that life will be complete once we reunite._

_When I try to picture his face in my mind, it is fuzzy, with no distinguishing features, but the pull he has on me is much too strong to ignore._

_He possesses everything that I need to survive. I do not know how I know this but there is no doubt in my mind that our connection is rooted deep within my soul. It is programmed into my being that I belong to him. Undeniably so._

"_I am here, my love," he calls through the trees. _

_My head snaps in the direction of his voice and I continue on my journey, his melodic message echoing throughout the woodlands, soothing me. Every movement I make is effortless. I feel graceful and it is as though I am flying._

"_Where are you?" I whisper into the fog, startled by the volume of my voice. It carries over the calmness of the forest and vibrates my entire body. I speak softly but what I hear is distinctly louder, like I am shouting instead. _

_The stillness around me is chilling but oddly, I am not cold. I spin around in a circle, raking my eyes over the misty forest around me. It is then I realize that my eyesight is __magnified__. _

_Even on the farthest trees, I can make out the smallest details of every leaf and see every insect that crawls up the bark. I blink in rapid concession, trying to figure out what is happening to me. _

"_Isabella," he calls again. _

_I glance at my surroundings, still unable to locate him. All I see are tall oaks, scattered amongst the fog. Their leaves do not rustle because no wind blows throughout the area. However, even though the forest is calm, I can hear the minutest sounds. Acute sounds. It is quite overwhelming. _

_Birds flock from the treetops as I approach, chirping at octaves that are so high, I desperately want to cover my ears. I hear scratching and pawing in the distance but when I turn my head in the direction of the sound, I am met by only more trees. _

"_I need you," I cry softly, the words spilling effortlessly from my lips, confident that he hears me._

_A steady thumping invades my ears and I use the sound as my guide, its intensity increasing with every step I take._

_The tempo leads me to a clearing that is bathed in magnificent sunlight Colorful flowers of various breeds and spectacular green grass adorn the brilliant meadow, providing an awe-inspiring view. _

_But what dazzles me the most is _him_._

_He stands in the middle of the meadow, _our_ meadow, holding a single long-stemmed red rose, waiting for me. __All of his features are unclear but I know without a doubt that this is the man I was searching for._

_Although sunlight illuminates the area, as he strolls towards me, darkness follows him, immersing his face in shadow, all except one stunning detail._

_His eyes. _

_His intense _green_ eyes._

_The stem of rose twirls between his pale fingertips while I stand frozen, his stare mesmerizing me as he approaches. His gaze is very passionate, but it does not leave me breathless because strangely enough, I do not feel the need to take any breaths, nor can I hear my own beating heart._

_His, however, is louder than ever._

_His emerald eyes shine like a beacon on the edge of the sea, hailing ships to shore. The captivate me, drawing me into him. They are bright and alluring, unlike any color I have ever seen. They enthrall me so greatly that I do not care that I cannot make out his face. I trust him._

_He stops before me and pulls his hand through my tangled hair. His innocent gesture feels very intimate and warmth builds up in my chest, radiating out to my extremities. His beautiful eyes search my face, asking questions without words. The worry I possessed when I could not find him dissipates now that I am in his presence and my relaxed state seems to pacify him because his eyes soften from concern to tenderness. _

"_A rose for my love," he whispers, extending the attractive flower to me."But even the prettiest blooms pale in comparison to your stunning beauty, Isabella."_

_I do not feel my usual blush creep into my cheeks, but nevertheless, his charming words exhilarate me. I accept his offering readily, the delightful aroma of the petals encompassing every one of my senses. __My grip on the stem is careful, as though anything more than the most delicate hold would crumble it to bits. I want to cherish it always._

_I close my eyes for a moment, bathing in its sweetness and feel his soft hand cup my face, his thumb caressing my cheek. His touch sets my skin ablaze._

"_Where were you?" I ask as my eyelids flutter open._

_Leaning forward, he presses his lips to my forehead. "You wandered off, separating us only briefly, but enough to give me quite the scare. I missed you terribly. But do not worry, my love. We will never be apart again."_

_I savor our closeness as his fingers pull through my hair once again. _

_It feels familiar. Very familiar. _

"_Isabella," he whispers. "You are trembling."_

_He is right. I am. But I am still not cold. I tremble from his loving touch which makes me feel complete. _

"_You make me tremble…" I reply softly, pressing my head to his chest and closing my eyes. His heartbeat is rapid and thumps loudly in my ear while I still have yet to hear my own. _

_He moves his hands down my neck and rubs small circles on my back. "Let me take you out of the elements, my love." _

_His fingertips graze my arms, from my shoulders to my wrists, creating a remarkable tingling sensation that bores deep into my bones as I look up at him once again. _

"_I love you in this dress," he murmurs, his green eyes smoldering. "Exquisite…"_

_His compliment and the hunger in his stare arouse me greatly._

"_Where are we going?" I ask, attempting to keep my wits about me._

"_The house is not far from here, my love, you know that."_

_I concentrate hard, trying to make out his face, but still, I see nothing._

_My eyebrows furrow. "You live in the forest?"_

_His vibrant green eyes light up in amusement. "Of course, I live here. _We_ live here. This is where we built our home." _

Our home…

_I love the sound of that._

_Gently, he grips my elbow, guiding me across the meadow to a path which leads into the dense trees. _

"_We need to move quickly before it gets too late," he advises, glancing behind us. "We do not want to be exposed too long."_

"_Exposed to what?"_

_He stops walking as we reach the perimeter of the forest and turns to me, bringing his hands to my face, his fingertips tracing the contours of my cheekbone._

"_Not to what, to _whom_," he corrects. _

_Sensually, he rubs his thumb along my jaw line and my coherent thoughts and follow-up questions slip away. My eyelids grow heavy, but I am not tired. Just…happy._

_His angelic voice rouses me. "I will protect you forever, Isabella."_

"_I had a feeling you would say that," I smile as his fingertips brush along my lower lip. _

_He chuckles softly, his laughter resembling a glorious hymn sung by the holiest of choirs. "You know me so well, lovely."_

_His continuous terms of endearment confuse me. My brain insists that I do not know him, yet my soul tells me to trust him whole-heartedly. _

"_I suppose I do," I reply wistfully._

_He sighs and chuckles again. "You say the silliest things, my love."_

_I catch his stare as his hands slip from my face to the back of my neck. He leans down slowly as my lips part in anticipation of our kiss that I crave so desperately. Just as my eyelids are about to close, a clever smirk ghosts his lips, which now begin to take form in the darkness shadowing his face. _

"_I cannot wait to get you home, Isabella." His lips hover over mine, his intoxicating breath tickling my skin and I giggle._

_The insinuation behind his words thrills me and I cannot wait to be indoors and in his arms. _

"_You always surprise me, lovely," he remarks, taking his hand off my neck and lightly brushing the wisps of hair away from my face. "Come, let us get you home and into our bed."_

"_But I am not tired," I protest._

_His laughter reverberates throughout the woodland. "Of course you are not. But there are plenty of other things we can do in our bed."_

"_Our bed?" I step out of his embrace, shaking my head in confusion. _

_He takes my hand in his. "Yes, Isabella. Our bed, in our house." _

_The sound of thick tree branches cracking and crows' squawking violently blasts through the forest, bringing his playful mood to an end. I pull away from him and cover my ears as high pitched wails wave across the tree tops and echo all around us. A gust of wind blows, causing my dress to flutter around me and my head feels like it is about to burst. _

_"Do you hear that?!" I cry._

_He does not answer my question as he takes my hand again._

_His green eyes narrow as he inspects our meadow behind us from our vantage point on the fringe. Then his hold tightens and he pulls me forward, urging me to follow him._

"_I was afraid of this. Come, my love. We must hurry," he instructs sternly, his heart rate accelerating. _

_Pulling me along behind him, he picks up his pace as the acute sounds assault me in surges. A high pitch screech follows a low, deafening bass. _

"_What is that noise?" I cry, gripping my rose tightly in one hand and him in the other. _

_Again, he does not answer me._

"_Please, tell me!" I beg as I tug at his arm, forcibly trying to get him to stop running. _

_He breathes in deeply and he shoots a fleeting glance at me over his shoulder. "Isabella, we do not have much time. I do not know if I can keep you safe from him here, without assistance, although you know I would do anything in my power to protect you. Even if it means sacrificing myself."_

_"If we are in danger I will help you," I offer. "I cannot bear to be apart from you."_

_"No," he states firmly._

_His grave his tone tells me not to press the issue any further. _

_Willingly, I continue to follow him, his footsteps leaving deep imprints in the mud. My sandal-covered feet crunch the small twigs and dry leaves beneath me as we travel the beaten path, dodging various obstacles along the way. His authority and faultless sense of direction soothes me and I know that as long as I am with him, I am safe._

_Unexpectedly, my foot catches a fallen log as we leap over it. I feel myself barreling towards the ground and I place my hands out in front of me to break my fall, eliminating the only physical connection I have with him and losing my rose in the process. The horrific noises around me continue to blast into my brain._

_Just before my body hits the moss-covered forest floor, I finally hear the thumping of my rapid heart in my chest, the erratic rhythm resembling staccato beats as the air rushes out of my lungs and two strong hands reach out to steady me. _

_He catches me easily and I feel embarrassed by my clumsiness. _

"_I am sorry," I stammer, trying to catch my breath which I now so desperately need. Suddenly, I feel the effects of the fall elements around me, the cold air of the forest causing goosebumps to erupt on my flesh. _

_The acute sounds of the forest cease, no longer overwhelming me, and when I focus on the trees in the distance, their minute details are gone._

_Prying my gaze away from my surroundings, I look to my savior and gasp as his face begins to materialize before me. Like plumes of smoke dancing in the wind, the darkness lifts and his features became extremely clear._

_His chiseled jaw line, high cheek bones, perfectly sculpted nose, every detail of his gorgeous face, slowly come into focus and I stare wide-eyed up at him, attempting to regain my footing and stand upright on my own. _

_My mysterious companion is Edward Cullen._

My_ Edward._

_But his eyes are no longer the intense green from before, but the all familiar _amber_ color that I am accustomed to. His attire, which I now see very clearly, is impeccable. He wears a crisp white dress shirt with the top two buttons unfastened and charcoal trousers, both of which enhance his astonishing beauty. _

"_Edward," I whisper as my heart rhythm slows to a steady beat and I regain control of my breathing. "I-I am sorry."_

_He smiles, his tantalizing lips parting ever so slightly, lighting up his face as the sunlight reflects off of his flawless skin and wild copper hair. "I told you, Isabella, my love. I will never let you fall."_

_His face inches closer to mine and he grazes his nose down my cheek toward my neck. My head tilts back and he presses his lips to the column of my throat, causing me to moan softly. His movements are slow, patient, as though we have all the time in the world to savor every moment and the steady pace at which he touches me drives me wild. My body throbs for him, needing him. Desperately so._

"_You have no idea what you do to me, Isabella," he whispers against my skin. His tone is husky, needy, and my knees grow weak. I would fall to the floor if not for his arm around my waist._

_He pulls me closer to him and I go willingly, pressing my head to his chest as his strong arms wrap around me. This time, however, his heart does not beat loudly in my ear. His chest is completely still and there is only…silence._

_My teeth begin chattering as intense coldness radiates between us. He pulls away slowly. "Come, lovely, I must get you warm."_

_He reaches his hand out for me to take, his penetrating gold stare reaching into the depths of my being, and my eyes close from the peacefulness he provides me._

"_Yes, of course, Edward. Anything," I murmur, a small smile playing upon my lips. "Let us go home to our house."_

_I extend my hand to meet his but I feel nothing but air. Confused, I open my eyes and find that the space in front of me is empty._

_He is gone. _

_I am all alone again._

"_Edward?" I call. "Edward!" _

_Spinning around slowly, I search my surroundings for him, but he is nowhere to be found. The fog is thick, disorienting me as I look for anything that can connect me to him._

_The only memento I find is the red rose I lost when I fell. I pick it up off of the ground and twirl the stem between my fingertips, watching the petals wilt and fall to the floor._

_My cries for him grow increasingly shrill as I watch the stem fall from my hand and with it, my last remaining bond to the man that holds the key to my everlasting happiness disintegrates. _

_His absence leaves a gaping hole in my chest and I find myself descending to the forest floor, my legs giving out beneath me. The ground feels soft as I lay on my side and pull my knees toward my body, rocking back and forth, devastated by the loss of the love of my life. _

_My eternal love._

"_Edward…"I whisper. _

_The sunlight no longer peeks through the trees and the woodland is now immersed in a moonlit glow. The dense fog blankets me but it is unable to provide me the sense of security I felt when I was in his presence. My body soon grows tired, my shaking ceases, and I no longer have the strength to move. I allow the haze to envelop me and usher me into sleep. _

"_Edward…"_

"Bella."

My eyes shot open and disoriented, I looked around. When my vision cleared, I realized I was no longer in a forest, but in my bedroom instead.

_Wow, what a crazy dream. It seemed so real._

I extended my legs and realized that I was not alone. But unfortunately, it wasn't Edward that was with me.

Angela peered over me with a concerned expression on her face. "Bella, are you alright?"

Startled, I sat up in my bed and backed away from her. "Ang, what are you doing here?"

"It's almost five o'clock. It's time to get ready for Mike's party. Your dad let us in and told us to wake you. So get up, sleepy head! Or do you need a moment to recover from that dream you were having?"

"What are you talking about?" I played dumb.

Angela put her hand on her hip and tilted her head to the side, flashing me a knowing grin. "You said _Edward _in your sleepa couple of times."

_Shit._

"So don't tell me you weren't having some crazy sex dream about him," she giggled.

"It wasn't a sex dream," I hissed.

I had no idea _what_ kind it was. It was so odd. Clearly, in my dream, Edward and I were together, but I felt so strange. So unlike myself. It didn't feel wrong, just _different_.

Angela rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever."

"Can we just drop it?" I pleaded.

Angela sighed. "Bella, it's alright to like him. No one says it's a crime to like an incredibly hot, polite, too-good-to-be-true guy. Don't you think it's time to branch out a little bit and possibly explore the other sex. Maybe _get_ some sex?"

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes.

A loud, clomping noise came from the hallway and I looked at Angela.

Then I realized what she said earlier.

_You're dad let _us_ in…_

And I knew exactly who the other part of _us_ was.

"Come on, you better get up quick," Angela advised. "I didn't have a chance to warn you, but-"

_Too late._

My bedroom door burst open and Jessica stood in the doorway with a large smile on her face as she scanned me up and down.

"You look like shit," she remarked with a smirk as she walked into my room, looking around, toeing a pile of clothes I had shoved up against my dresser. "I've never been in here before - you're kind of messy."

Her high-pitched voice was the worst wakeup call ever. "What are you doing here, Jess?" I asked. "I thought you were _helping _Mike get ready for the party."

She pouted. "Can you believe that he blew me off?" She walked over to my bed and plopped down next to me making the mattress bounce. "Well, not completely. He asked me to buy the food while he picked up a keg in Port Angeles from his friend."

I looked at her in disbelief. "He asked you to buy the food for _his _party? And you did it?"

"Of course she did," Angela piped up while rifling through some plastic bags she brought with her. "Because he promised her she could be his official date tonight and he'll introduce her that way to everyone."

"_Really_, Jess?" I cocked an eyebrow. "You're letting him walk all over you."

She shrugged. "I can't help it. I think I love him."

I placed my hand on her knee. "I hope that he knows this. I don't want you to get your heart broken."

"Yes, I know," she sighed. She turned to Angela, changing the topic. "So Angie, show Bella her costume."

I didn't like the way she said that.

Sliding off the bed, my eyes locked with Angela's and she gave me a small smile.

"Ang…?"

She exchanged a knowing glance with Jessica before looking back at me. "Well, there was a little problem at the costume shop," she began slowly. "When Jessica and I got there, they were all sold out of your witch costume."

My mouth dropped open. "Sold out? But that can't be. They had tons of them last week when I was there!"

"Don't worry," she assured. "We picked out a replacement costume that I know you're going to love!"

"Yeah, you're gonna look hot!" Jessica added, popping a stick of gum into her mouth.

My eyes shot open and I looked at Angela. "Oh my god! Did you let her pick it out?" I asked, pointing to Jessica.

"Well…"

"Oh no." I swallowed slowly, fearing the worst.

No good could come of this, I was certain.

Jessica rolled her eyes, stood up from the bed and walked to my stereo. She pressed a couple of buttons and the music came on.

Angela giggled. "Actually, she didn't do a bad job."

"It's slutty, isn't it?" I whispered.

"Hey, just be glad I vetoed the naughty nurse costume she originally wanted. She was really pulling for that one. I think her second choice was much more you."

"Oh jeez," I mumbled, burying my face in my hands.

Jessica selected a radio station and squealed. "Oh, I love these girls! They're my idols!"

_The Pussycat Dolls_

Case and point.

I was definitely screwed.

"Don't leave me asking for more," she sang along. "I'm a sexy mama, who knows just how to get what I wanna…"

Jessica shook her ass and danced provocatively as she belted out the words off key, oblivious to the fact that Angela and I were staring at her in disbelief.

"Angela," I hissed. "Do you realize that she's singing and dancing to a song by a group of woman, who she refers to as her idols, who wear next to nothing, shake their butts all over the place and named themselves after pussies? And you think I should feel comfortable with what she picked out for me to wear tonight?!"

I was going to be sick.

"Oh, please!" Angela protested. "I had my say too. It's not bad. Trust me. Plus, I like the _Pussycat Dolls._"

I cringed. "Ahhh! Angela, do you see this face?" I asked, pointing to myself. "This is a face of disgust!"

I wasn't really a fan of contemporary music. I felt that there were so many great artists and bands in the last fifty years that needed to be appreciated, which were much better than the crap out there today.

She pointed to herself. "Do you see my face?" she mocked. "This is a face that says I don't care, you're wearing what we got for you!"

"Fine," I grumbled, holding out my hand for my costume. "I give up."

With a triumphant smile, she bent over and picked one of her plastic bags off the floor, "Now when you put this on, just keep an open mind. The shop was really picked clean so it was either this or Sponge Bob."

"At this point, I would have rather had Sponge Bob or Patrick, for that matter," I muttered. I opened the bag and saw a bunch of red fabric.

"Alright, hurry up!" she ordered as Jessica started dancing to the next song. "I got Princess Leia hair buns to mold."

I held up my hands in surrender "Okay, okay."

"Oh, and you'll need a strapless bra," Jess winked.

Letting out a frustrated groan, I walked over to my bureau and dug one out of the top drawer and headed across the hall to change.

Ten minutes later, after I freshly scrubbed a day's worth of embarrassment away from my face, I was slapped with an additional helping of it when I put on my costume. I cringed as I looked at myself in the full length mirror in my bathroom.

"There is no way I'm leaving the house in this!" I yelled through the door.

"Oh, yes you are," Angela and Jessica called out in unison.

"What am I supposed to be anyway?"

"A 1940s cigarette girl," Angela explained. "The costume came with a slim fake gold-plated cigarette case which you can carry around with you. There's a secret pocket for it in the dress part of the outfit."

I sighed, analyzing my appearance. "But I don't smoke. Also, I'm the police chief's daughter so I really don't think it's wise for me to be handing out cigarettes to underage kids.

"Relax, Bella," Angela replied. "Fake cigarettes came with the case."

"But I got real booze you can hand out if you want," Jessica added. "Mike got a bunch of little bottles of Jack and Absolute from his friend as well."

"I'm not handing those out either," I snapped.

"Fine, I'll hold them," Jessica replied.

_Whatever._

That meant that Jessica was going to get piss drunk tonight. I wasn't a big drinker myself so I would have to remember to keep my eye on her as the night wore on. I learned from past parties that Jessica could be a very messy drunk.

I readjusted the sweetheart neckline of my costume to see if I could cover up more skin but it was no use. It dipped way too low, exposing too much cleavage, which looked extra busty thanks to my strapless bra, and the bottom of the dress was way too short, reaching only to my upper thighs.

The costume was made from a satin material that darted in at the waist, showing off my curvy hips. It would have been a little more decent if it had a few more inches added to the skirt portion, at least. Bending over tonight was clearly not an option because my ass would certainly show.

_Boy shorts it is._

"Let me in so I can see," Jessica ordered as she knocked on the door. "I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Not that bad?" I cried. "Hookers wear more clothes than I am right now."

But as much as I felt uncomfortable, I knew there was no way out of this.

Reluctantly, I opened the door and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head. Jessica stood on the other side dressed in a vinyl skirt, - that believe it or not, was _way _shorter than my dress - a leopard print hot pink tube top, fish nets, and heels that were at least four inches high.

I looked her up and down in shock. Compared to her costume, mine was quite demure.

"What the _hell _are you wearing?" I asked.

She looked down at herself and shrugged "What? It's my costume. I'm going as Julia Roberts' character in _Pretty Woman_."

"I was wrong; hookers wear more clothes than _you_!" I sputtered as I stepped closer to her. "Are you old enough to even buy those clothes? You know that vinyl isn't meant to be worn, it's meant to be seat covers in my truck."

"Oh jeez, Bella!" she huffed. "Live a little!"

She dragged me back into my bedroom and I found a proper pair of underwear to put on under my costume.

Using the curling iron Angela brought with her, I styled my hair into loose ringlets and applied some mascara and foundation. I wanted to keep my makeup to a minimum tonight.

Jessica stuffed her bra, the two of us helped Angela with her Leia buns, and I slipped the cigarette holder into my hidden pocket before turning off the stereo. With one last look in the mirror, we were off.

Angela looked pretty close to Leia. She wore a long white robe with white patent leather boots. The look on her face reflected her excitement and I couldn't wait for Ben to see her. He was going to love her costume.

Jessica had purchased a short wig and a hat like the ones Julia Roberts wore in the movie and after she put them on, she kept posing in the mirror, clearly loving her look a little too much.

I had to admit, I actually didn't look too bad. The small dress felt more comfortable after I put on my underwear and some pantyhose, and the heels I wore made my legs look long and slim. I felt sexy, very old Hollywood, channeling my inner Rita Hayworth, and I couldn't help but hope that Edward would be at the party and like my costume too.

I recalled my dream and the remarkable sensation that burned within me in his presence and I got even more excited.

As the three of us walked into the hallway, I sighed and reminded myself not to get my hopes up too much. Just as we were about to head downstairs, Jessica said something about fixing her stocking and retreated back into my room, leaving Angela and I alone.

"What's wrong, Bella? You look amazing and I promise, only a little slutty," she smirked.

I rolled my eyes. "Very funny."

"No really, what's wrong?" she pressed, resting her hand on my forearm.

I sucked in a huge breath and leaned in close to her so Jessica wouldn't hear me.

"I kind of, um…invited Edward Cullen tonight."

Angela's eye grew wide and a huge grin graced her mouth. "Bella Swan, you didn't?! I thought you only invited Alice, not her brother too!"

"Shut up, you're making me even more nervous," I replied, glancing over her shoulder at Jessica, who was inspecting her lipstick in the mirror in my bedroom. "I left him a note in his locker when I dropped his Bio notes off." I dropped my gaze to the floor. "Do you think that was stupid?"

"No way!" she hissed. She pushed me into the bathroom so Jessica wouldn't hear our conversation. "What did it say?"

I bit my lip. "I just said something like - I know how it feels to be the new kid and he should come to the party to meet people. Not specifically, to hang out with me, just a general invitation."

Angela smile widened "Bella, I'm so proud of you!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down a little. "Do you know what this _means_?!"

I shook my head.

"This means that you're ready to get out of your granny panties and dust the cobwebs off your big girl lingerie."

"Oh jeez!" I waved my hand at her. "That's something Jessica would say."

"I'm not talking about _sex_, Bella." She put her hands on my shoulders. "I'm talking about embracing your inner vixen and showing Edward the real you – the sassy, smart, incredibly sweet woman I've known since August. Since we met, I've never seen you give any guy the time of day, but what I saw today between you and Edward was definitely something very special. Tonight's gonna be life-altering for you, I can tell."

"Nothing happened in class that would indicate that tonight is going to be life-altering. We just talked, that's all."

Angela placed her hands on my shoulders and shook me. "Will you stop that?! If it was only a regular conversation, you never would've taken the initiative to invite him tonight. As an objective observer, I can tell you what you shared in class was way more intimate than that. The way he looked at you was borderline possessive and I've never seen you blush so much in such a short period of time. And that's saying a lot!"

I sighed. "I don't know what to think anymore. I've been going back and forth all day, obsessing over it. I'm scared."

"Why's that?"

"I'm scared of feeling so strongly for someone and losing my identity. Today, in class, was nerve-racking but thrilling at the same time. And since then he's all I can think about. Charlie even caught me praying in my truck!"

"Let me guess - you were praying that Edward got your note and would come tonight, right?"

"Yup," I confessed.

"Bella, I did it too, with Ben," she smiled. "I felt the same way you are feeling now. It's just how it happens when you start to get to know someone and fall in love. There is no shame in getting butterflies or losing control of how you feel when they're around. It's natural. If you and Edward are truly meant to be then you'll find he'll enrich your life and _enhance_ your identity, not take away from it. He'll complete you."

I thought about my dream and how everything just felt so right when I was with him and nodded. "I never thought about it like that. You're right. No more foolish comments. I'm gonna show him the real me. Maybe Edward and I-"

"Edward?!" Jessica announced, stepping into the bathroom behind Angela. "Did I hear that correctly? Did you just mention the man who shall not be named?"

"Uh, it's nothing…" Angela stammered. "I just asked her if she ended up dropping off her bio notes at his locker."

Jessica's eyes widened. "Hey Bella, wouldn't it be cool if he showed up tonight?"

Angela and I exchanged amused glances. "Oh, I never thought about that," I replied, trying to hold back a smile. "Yeah, you're right, that might be fun."

The last thing I needed was to tell Jessica about my invitation. She was my friend but she had a big mouth and the news would be all over town by midnight if she found out.

"Oh my! Don't you girls look so beautiful?!"

The three of us jumped and looked to the hall. My mother stood before us, clutching her hands to her chest with a large grin on her face.

"Angela," she gushed. "You look exactly like Princess Leia. I'm a _huge_ Star Wars fan!" She looked to me. "Bella, do you look stunning. Your hair is wonderful and you look so.....grown up! And Jessica....." Her eyebrows knitted together. "Who are you supposed to be?"

Angela and I giggled while Jessica looked shocked that my mother didn't know. "I'm Julia Roberts, Mrs. Swan…_Pretty Woman_…" she stated matter-of-factly.

"Uh, of course," my mom replied. I could tell she was forcing a smile.

"Oh Bella, I almost forgot," she gestured to a book in her hand. "Your father wanted me to give you this before you go. He said it might help you, whatever that means."

I looked at the cover and nearly died.

"I don't know why he thinks you would want my copy of _Lord of the Rings_," she continued with a shrug. "But I brought it upstairs anyway."

"Orlando Bloom is so hot!" Jessica piped in.

"Uh, thanks, mom," she replied, my face flushing from embarrassment. "Why don't you put it in my room and I'll look at it later?"

"Sure," she grinned as Jessica, Angela and I exited the bathroom. "Oh, and sweetheart…"

I stopped mid-stride. "Yeah, mom?"

"I'm sure your father would love to see your costumes before you go."

_Crap._

This wasn't going to go over well. My dad wasn't as easy-going as my mom was. I'd hoped he would be gone back to work before we left for the party, but no such luck.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I had to get him back for the book incident.

This could be fun.

The four of us headed downstairs and I tried to remain as nonchalant as possible as I entered the living room where my father sat on his Lazy Boy watching TV.

"Dad, we're leaving," I announced in a sing-song voice. He looked up at me and did a double take. His mouth dropped open and his eyes grew wide.

"Where are your clothes?" he demanded as he stood up.

"What?" I played dumb as I twirled around. "Don't you like my costume? Mom does."

My father grunted. "Go put on a sweater – no, a _parka _– right now!"

"Sorry, dad, but a jacket just doesn't go with my _little _outfit." I held back a grin. "Don't worry, I'll find someone to warm me up if I get cold."

"W-wh…n-no…like hell you will!" he roared. His face was beet red and I couldn't hold back my laughter anymore.

"Oh and thanks for the _book_, dad, but I won't be needing it tonight," I giggled. "You see, I prayed to Frodo and he sent Aargon and Gollum here, to protect me." I pointed at Angela and Jessica. "So I'll see you later. Don't wait up."

My father was still at a loss for words as I gave him a sly smile and walked out of the living room with Jessica and Angela following close behind me.

Success!

"Oh, Bella, that was cruel," Angela laughed.

"He and I are always joking back and forth. He knows I was just trying to get a rise out of him," I explained as we walked away from my poor awestruck father.

"But still, I'm surprised he's letting you leave the house."

Actually, so was I. That was easy. A little too easy.

I shrugged. "Okay, so who's driving?"

"Well, I have the food for the party in my car, but it only seats two people," Jessica replied.

"Aren't you drinking tonight?" I asked.

"Yeah, but if I do I'll just walk home – or crash at Mike's," she giggled.

"Okay," I shrugged. "I'll follow the two of you in my truck."

Angela nodded. "Sounds good."

I picked up my keys and took my license out of my wallet, sticking them both into the secret pocket of my costume with my cigarette case.

Just as I reached for the doorknob to complete my clean getaway, I heard my mother's voice. "Charlie, doesn't Bella look beautiful? All the boys at the party will be just dying to dance with her."

I didn't have to turn around to know that my father was not going to take her comment very well. Undoubtedly, that was the final straw and my clean getaway just took an ugly turn.

I heard his heavy footsteps as he exited the living room toward the kitchen.

"Can it, Renee," he growled. "I'm calling Billy Black."

I groaned as I pulled the front door open and stepped out onto the porch under the twinkling night sky, Jessica and Angela in tow.

It looked like I was going to have to wish on a shooting star tonight as well for extra help because there was only one reason why my dad was making that call. And it wasn't going to work in my favor.

If Edward Cullen was my destiny, then fate sure had a funny way of proving it to me.

Tonight had just gotten a whole lot more complicated.

**A/N Next chapter is EPOV and we are taking a little break for the holidays. Expect the next update to come after the New Year. **

**So who do you think is going to make Bella's night more complicated? **

**Leave me sugar!**


	11. The Setting Sun

**A/N Hello lovelies! BIG A/N AHEAD and BELOW!**

**Back again after a much needed break for the holidays. I would like to make a PSA for just a minute. I'm so fail at responding to reviews or PM's since the last update. I lost my job days before Christmas and was fighting a mild form of massive fuck-up'ness so I pouted and wallowed and shed my tears on Twitter if you follow me. My point being is that I royally sucked donkey balls and deserve to have my ass handed to me. So I hope you can forgive my lack of response to your reviews or reading in general. I haven't done much of that either. I also want to say a big SORRY to all my bb's that know I love very much and haven't shown the love they deserve too. This is you Jess, I will review shower sex and the Reservation Epi, ahhh....so fail again! **

**Okay, I won't keep you too long up here, look for me at the end as well. **

**Mike edited for us cause he's like the best boyfriend out there. Alex, I'm making him my honorary boyfrined. You should warn him. LOL!**

**We don't own, but Alex totes owns Edwards contractions and I own Jessica's hooker costume. **

**Chapter Ten: The Setting Sun**

_**Edward**_

While the rest of my coven were able to leave school when the final bell rang, I had the misfortune of stumbling upon the school principal in the hallway, who insisted I tell him how I was enjoying Forks High thus far.

Given Carlisle's prominent position in the community, the male wanted to ensure that the good doctor's offspring were pleased with his establishment and I was the first of our coven that he came across today. The others had obviously gotten wind to avoid him, something I had neglected to learn.

I nodded and smiled politely, trying to seem interested in his conversation, meanwhile my thoughts were consumed with Isabella and what she was doing right now. If it was not for this male perhaps I would have encountered her at her locker or in the parking lot but now the chances of that were very slim.

"So Edward, have you thought about trying out for any of our sports teams?" the principal asked, continuing with his barrage of questions.

"No, sir. I am afraid that I am not much of an athlete."

The truth was that my vampire strength would put my fellow teammates and opponents in serious danger. It was possible to adapt, but due to my extreme competitive nature, it was best if I stayed away, just in case an accident occurred. The results would be catastrophic, certainly not worth the risk. This was alright with me, but Emmett was particularly disheartened that he could not showcase his athletic talent.

"Well, we have many extra-curricular activities at this school, so I'm sure one of them will appeal to you," he boasted.

"Yes, I am sure something will."

I assessed his thoughts for any signs that he would wrap this up sometime soon. Unfortunately, he had a lot on his agenda.

"And I was wondering, Edward, if you could ask your parents if they would be interested in joining the P.T.A..."

As I successfully tuned out the rest of his ramblings, including his internal reverence of Carlisle and his prestigious title in the community, I spotted Jasper over his shoulder at the other end of the hallway.

With a slight tilt of my head, one that was too quick for the principal to notice, I summoned my coven member over to assist me with my escape.

"_Sorry, Edward_," he replied in his thoughts as a wide grin crept across his face.

Then he did what any family member would do to his brethren with whom he had been living with for over seven decades – he left me there, offering no reprieve whatsoever. Well aware of my penchant for avoiding conversations with humans, Isabella being the new exception, Jasper laughed at my predicament and internally notified me that he and the rest of our coven would meet me at home.

Ensuring that he would not succumb to the same fate as me, Jasper changed his course, discovering another way to exit the school, and at that moment, I wished that he could read _my_ mind so I could tell him exactly what I thought about his decision.

I felt it best to remain cordial with the principal in order to create a pleasant relationship with the faculty and present our coven in a favorable manner. I attempted to be as engaging as possible and after ensuring the male that I found his _academy of higher learning_ one of the _finer establishments I had ever attended_, leaving out the fact that I had attended both Harvard and Princeton in the past, he was satisfied and I was dismissed.

"Have a good day, sir," I concluded as I walked away, leaving as quickly as I could under his watchful eye.

The parking lot was deserted as I made my way to my car but I went through the same motions as any human would, walking at a pace that would not draw suspicion and fastening my seatbelt. After my errors with Isabella this morning, it was time for me to be more meticulous, down to the smallest detail.

Isabella was not in any of my afternoon classes and although I caught her jasmine scent in various hallways, our paths did not cross. But that was of no concern to me because I had her note regarding the gathering this evening and would certainly speak with her there. My plan was to approach her first and make my introduction again formally, thanking her for the invitation she left me and, with any luck, our conversation would continue from there.

It was already improper that she had invited me and not the other way around but I supposed that was how things were done these days. I had never courted a female before but what I was accustomed to was much different than how the humans currently went about it. There were still many habits engrained into me over the decades that I could not part with and I hoped that it would set me apart from the other males Isabella encountered and make me appeal to her above all the rest.

The drive back to our dwelling was peaceful, the absence of humans on the road a welcomed relief after being surrounded by them all day in school, and I let my mind wander, the focus of my daydreams being, of course, Isabella.

Using the garage remote that Jasper provided me, I opened the door and eased into a vacant spot at the end, leaving room between my Vantage and Rosalie's BMV for Carlisle and Esme's vehicle when they returned.

I retrieved my messenger bag, containing Isabella's school notes as well as her invitation, from the passenger seat, and made my way to the front of the house. The sky was overcast and a cool breeze danced around me, rustling the leaves on the treetops and those that were casualties of the fall elements scattered about the forest floor.

I bounded up the front stairs three at a time and noticed that Esme had placed a jack-o-lantern on the steps and a welcome mat at the door. However, I doubted very much that the residents of Forks would be venturing this far from town on their trick-or-treating adventures tonight, unless their curiosities got the better of them and they wanted an excuse to stop by and introduce themselves.

Given the first official appearance today of our entire coven, it was safe to assume that we would be the topic of conversations at many dinner tables tonight and I wondered if Isabella and her parents would discuss us – or more specifically, me, and what they would say.

If I was ever given the privilege of being introduced to them, I would make sure that they were aware that I was an acceptable acquaintance for their daughter, with only her best interests in mind. Although, I supposed that the possibility that Isabella could become a vampire by my own hand did not exactly qualify as taking care of her properly and ensuring that no harm ever came to her. But that was not an idea I wanted to entertain at the moment.

The front door was unlocked and upon crossing the threshold, my keen senses picked up on a foreign fragrance, one that I knew well but did not belong here, and it caused me to halt in my tracks. Isabella's scent was scattered about our dwelling but its potency was much too faint for her to be here personally. Curious as to how her aroma arrived here, I tossed my messenger bag on the hall table and listened intently.

I heard Rose and Emmett talking animatedly in the den and listened for the other two, who I knew were home as well. There were no heartbeats in the immediate area, confirming my initial assumption that Isabella was not here, but nevertheless, someone had some explaining to do. And I knew who.

_Uh oh. _

Alice's panicked thoughts came through loud and clear as she undoubtedly had a vision of what was to happen next, now that I had made up my mind. As her thoughts shifted to puppies and kittens, I bolted upstairs to her bedroom to confront her, Isabella's scent growing stronger with each step I took.

When I appeared in the doorway, I found Alice standing with Jasper against the far wall, poking her head out from behind him with a sheepish smile on her face. Jasper grinned and crossed his arms over his chest, and his thoughts reflected his curiosity over what was about to transpire.

"Hi, Edward," Alice greeted nonchalantly with a small wave.

My eyes narrowed. "Hello."

"Did you have a nice chat with the principal?" she asked. "Jasper said you had a lengthy conversation."

"Explain."

"Explain what?" She batted her eyelashes.

I chuckled at her attempted innocence and her eyes widened when she determined what my subsequent move was.

"Yikes!" she exclaimed as she darted out from behind Jasper towards the other side of the room closest to the door.

In one swift movement, I cornered her, providing absolutely no chance of escape. Isabella's scent assaulted me, confirming my suspicions, and I paused for a moment, allowing the sweet aroma to permeate my senses. I thought back to Alice's quick departure in the parking lot after lunch and knew it was connected.

Jasper's laughter echoed around us as he watched our encounter and I focused my attention on his tiny mate. Towering over Alice, I rested my palms against the wall on either side of her head and lifted my eyebrows, looking for an explanation. She linked her hands in front of her and rocked back and forth on her feet, whistling, as I tried to hold back a smile.

"Lovely day for a Halloween party, isn't it?" she teased as she continued to purposely block her thoughts from me.

I smirked at her effort to withhold the information.

Attracted by the commotion, Rose and Emmett appeared in the room and took their places beside Jasper as spectators. Alice's mate was at ease, knowing that I was not a threat and he found the situation comical, as did the others. I turned my attention back to Alice and wrapped my arms around her as she giggled loudly, wriggling to break free of my grasp.

She was stronger than I was, but because my approach caught her by surprise, she was at my mercy. Alice's visions were selective so it was not as though she could witness every aspect of the future before it happened. She received whatever was made available to her and she had no control over what the circumstances were or who was involved.

With the distraction, Alice's thoughts flooded my mind and Isabella's appeared before me, talking without volume, in the same attire she wore to school today in what looked to be a restroom.

"Get out of my head, Edward!"

"Tell me what I want to know," I countered, holding her tighter.

"O-okay, okay," Alice stammered in between her laughter. "I'll tell you, you barbarian!"

I stopped moving. "Go ahead."

"Can you release me first?" she asked, her voice muffled by my jacket.

"Are you going to run?"

_Yes._

"No," she spoke aloud, her external thoughts conflicting with her inner ones.

"Drat," she muttered when she realized I knew the truth.

"Well, which is it?" I chuckled.

She went limp and I took that as a hint that she was going to co-operate. I released her slowly and she stood up straight, smoothing out the front of her blouse. She looked up at me and blinked, remaining completely mute so I folded my arms across my chest and waited.

When she offered up no information willingly, I felt it best to start the inquisition myself. "You spoke with Isabella for some time in close proximity today, did you not? I can smell her scent on you and it is everywhere in this house."

"Edward," she whined. "I couldn't help it." I looked away, pursing my lips, trying not chastise her for meddling. "I'm sorry, Edward, it just...happened."

My eyes locked with hers. "Really? With _your_ track record? Why do I find that impossible to believe?"

I ran my hand through my hair and turned my back to her. Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie stood before me with amused expressions on their faces. "Did you three know about this?"

They simply shrugged and smiled, purposely keeping their thoughts silent.

"What did you say to her?" I demanded as I faced Alice again.

"Well, I ran into her in the restroom..."

I cocked my eyebrows. "Our kind does not utilize the restrooms."

"Okay, so I_ may _have seen that she was in there before third period and accidently-"

My eyes narrowed.

"Uh, _purposely_," she corrected, "stopped in to say hello."

I shook my head, imaging the worst.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me, but my curiosity was _killing_ me," she dramatized, bringing the back of her hand to her forehead.

"_Killing_ you?" I laughed. "You? The vampire who has not had a heartbeat in over one hundred years?"

"Oh, you know what I mean," she waved me off. "You must understand that I've known Bella the past few years too. I might not have visited her every October but she's been as much a part of my existence as she has yours. Unlike the rest of our coven, including you, I've seen her daily and I wanted to finally have a conversation with her. You can understand that, can't you?"

I nodded. "You know I cannot stay mad at you. I just know how overwhelming you can be at times. Your energy levels are quite high and I do not want to intimidate her."

"Me? Intimidate?" Alice scoffed. "Never! In fact, we're going to become great friends, she and I."

"You did not bring me up, did you?"

Her gold eyes widened. "Nope. We just chatted briefly. She's very nice and very beautiful in person- red as a tomato half the time, but pretty nonetheless. And she invited me to the Halloween party tonight, as she did you. Isn't that great?"

"You know about that?"

_Silly question, of course she did._

"I've already spoken to Jasper and he's coming with us," she explained.

"Us? Perhaps I am not going."

"Ha, yeah right!" Emmett exclaimed behind me. I shot him a threatening look and he shook his head with a smile.

"Oh, you're _so_ going," Alice giggled. "I'm psychic, remember?"

I turned to Rose and Emmett. "Have you two decided to come tonight as well?"

Rose's upper lip curled into a sneer. "Not a chance. As I stated earlier, I will not subject myself to such a juvenile soiree. I may not remember much about my human life, but from inquiring into my past through old newspapers, I discovered that I was a debutante. Attending tonight would be below me."

"And what about you, Emmett?" I asked.

He looked at his mate and her eyes narrowed. "It looks like my _no_ still stands, Edward."

"So, it looks like it's just us three," Jasper slapped my back. "So what's your costume going to be? Alice already has hers and mine planned out."

"Costume?" I huffed. "I do not think so."

"Helloooo," Alice rolled her eyes as Jasper took her hand in his. "It's a _Halloween_ party. You must wear a costume. The humans will think you're weird if you don't."

"If I do_ not_ dress up in a ridiculous outfit, they will think I am strange? That is twisted logic."

"Sorry, bro," Jasper grinned. "Rules are rules. And you know Alice when it comes to clothes. She won't let you off the hook until you agree."

"Bella will be wearing a costume," Alice sang.

_Bella._

"Did she tell you to address her that way?" I inquired.

She looked puzzled by my question. "Well, that's her name."

"No, I mean Bella as opposed to Isabella."

Alice shrugged. "I don't know. I just called her that and she didn't correct me."

I pondered her comment, suddenly unsure of which one I should use from now on.

"She's in my fourth period class," Emmett piped up. "And I heard one of her classmates refer to her as Bella too. She seems nice, Edward – great catch."

"And she's in my third period," Rose added. "She's very cute and when I asked her for a pen, she presented me one without hesitation. She could stand to add some highlights to that dull brown hair of hers but I do approve."

"Please do not test Isabella any further," I ordered.

Rose shrugged. "What makes you think it was a test?"

I lifted my eyebrows and the rest of our coven's thoughts sided with mine. We knew Rose too well to think anything else.

"Well, I needed to know if she's was stuck up or friendly," she confessed. "Especially if I'm going to be associating with her for the rest of eternity."

"How did you believe that you would come to a conclusion based on a pen?"

Rose flipped her blonde hair over her shoulders. "It was the least invasive way."

"You are not always the easiest person to get along with so I would suggest not judging others," I cautioned.

"Exactly," she smirked. "I don't need someone else trying to steal my spotlight."

I could not very well fault her for her natural behavior, as long as no harm was done, so I let the topic drop, meeting Alice's gaze instead. "What else did you discuss with Isabella besides the party tonight?"

She pursed her lips. "Um, nothing."

"Alice," I warned.

"Well, she mentioned something about guy trouble and-"

"As in a conflict with a human male?" I pressed.

"She didn't say," Alice replied. "She was mumbling to herself when I arrived. She didn't speak to me about it directly and she offered up no additional information when I brought it up."

Jealousy blazed through me as Alice's words sunk in. I wanted to dominate Isabella's thoughts, not some feeble, pathetic teenage male who could not take care of her like I could. I never thought about the possibility that she could be currently involved with one of her kind and I certainly did not smell a male's bonding scent on her today. From the way Angela spoke about Isabella's reaction to me, it seemed she was not attached to anyone and the invitation she left in my locker supported this. But my mind would not rest until I knew for certain.

"Don't worry," Alice continued, sensing my possessiveness as though _she _was the mind reader. "Your future with her is set. Whoever this male was, he won't be in the picture for long."

I did not want to hear about my future being carved out in stone, even if it did ensure that I was a part of Isabella's life and not some other male, so I chose to ignore her comment.

A low rumbling noise outside indicated that Carlisle and Esme were home and I used that as an excuse not to reply. Upon entering our dwelling, they joined us upstairs, eager to contribute to our discussion.

Immediately, Esme's eyes locked with mine. _I hope Carlisle's confession today helped you during this difficult time._

I nodded and she offered me a warm smile. It had definitely been a very eye-opening declaration but their secret was safe with me.

"So what are you five conversing about?" Carlisle inquired.

"Edward, Jasper and I are going to a Halloween party tonight," Alice explained.

"Edward?" Carlisle turned to me. "Have I heard correctly?"

"Yes, Isabella slipped an invitation into my locker with a personalized note. I believe it would be an opportune time for us to get to know each other better, although my preferred venue is not a house crowded with other humans."

Our patriarch placed his hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "That's wonderful. I'm happy for you."

I diverted my gaze. "It is just a party, Carlisle."

Esme smiled and her thoughts entertained her excitement. "Nevertheless, it's nice to see you socializing and venturing out of the house at night beyond your regular hunting routine and isolated strolls."

I felt like a charity case, but I kept my thoughts to myself.

"And I get to help him with his costume," Alice boasted.

Carlisle chuckled loudly. "My, I really _have_ heard everything!"

"I have not yet agreed to dress up," I corrected.

"What about your trunk in the basement containing all of your old clothes?" Alice suggested. "Why not wear one of your outfits from one of your favorite decades? The 1940s, perhaps? At least you'll be comfortable and the humans will believe it's a costume."

As I contemplated her offer, with several options in mind, I determined that her idea was not as abhorrent as I first thought. It would allow me to feel more at ease around Isabella and present myself in the way I most preferred. She could experience as much of the real me as was possible at this time, even if she was under the impression that I was wearing a costume.

"Alright, then," Carlisle smiled. "I will let you _kids_ get ready."

"Oh, one more thing," Rose announced. "We can't go out at lunch anymore. It worked when we attended schools in larger communities, but this afternoon, most of the students were gossiping about why we disappeared and didn't eat in the cafeteria with everyone else."

"That's a good point, Rose," Carlisle noted. "Customs are different in Forks. I had the same experience at the hospital. The humans are watching us more closely than what we are accustomed to and we must take extra care to fit in. We have been doing a good job thus far, but we will continue to be challenged with various circumstances we have never encountered previously. We will learn as we go."

"Yes, I picked up on similar thoughts from the student body about our eating habits," I added.

"You will just have to purchase food in the lunch room and push it around, pretending as though you are eating," Carlisle instructed. "That is what I did today during my afternoon break when my colleagues invited me to join them in the lounge. It took me by surprise but I assume that is small town hospitality for you. I wasn't used to that from working in the larger hospitals all these years. But I pulled it off without any problems and I believe I can continue to be successful should situations like these arise in the future."

"So is what I suggested alright with everyone?" Rose asked.

"Yes, I will agree to those terms," I consented.

The others concurred and since I assumed Isabella ate in the cafeteria as well, I actually looked forward to changing our regular routine and remaining in the high school during the lunch hour.

"Excellent. Well, I am glad everything is progressing nicely." Carlisle locked his eyes with mine and I diverted my gaze again, sensing his words were laced with underlying connotations. My coven's pressure was, at times, too much to contend with, though I was well aware they had my best interests in mind.

Rose and Emmett retired to the den while Carlisle and Esme ventured to the kitchen and Jasper and Alice headed to the basement to sift through their old wardrobe trunks. Since I wanted to show Isabella that I was tolerant of high school customs, in addition to the fact that it was futile to dispute Alice's insistence that I wear a costume, I followed my two coven members to the basement without any objections.

Alice selected a Flapper costume and Jasper searched for his favorite Zoot suit amongst his old military uniforms, which he had kept in his possession after his change. His gaze lingered on his war medals as he fingered his officers' jacket and there was a flicker of sadness in his eyes before he set it aside. Although he had the ability to manipulate others' emotions, he could not alter his own and I felt sorry for him that he had to deal with such pain. I did not know why he kept his uniforms, but I supposed if I had something tangible from my past, I would preserve it as well, no matter what type of memories accompanied it.

Unlike the rest of our coven, Jasper retained extensive memories of his years as a human, including details of his transformation and his time fighting in the Civil War, both of which had left him with many emotional scars. I did not mean to pry but sometimes his recollections took me by surprise when I let my guard down, and without his knowledge, he bombarded my mind with unsettling graphic images of his past. He never spoke of his years in the service, but from my minute glimpses into his thoughts, on the occasions where he allowed himself to recall his experience, I understood why; I, too, was horrified by what I saw.

Upon regaining my composure, I would block them out, affording him the privacy he had always tried so desperately to preserve. His greatest fear was that Alice would one day discover what type of man he had been in his later human years. However, he did not consider the fact that he had had no choice but to fight as was customary of men at that time and that it did not reflect his true nature. Although I had no personal experience, I knew that war did strange things to men and it was not his fault. Nevertheless, Jasper's guilt was tremendous and he regretted his actions during the battles very much.

Alice let Jasper have his moment and pretended to sort through the items in her own trunk, but I knew she wondered what made him melancholy so suddenly. Removing his costume choice from the trunk and dusting it off, Jasper looked to his mate for approval. Alice smiled, pushing her concerned thoughts aside, and his face lit up as well, all traces of his earlier sorrow eliminated.

"Okay, Jasper and I have our costumes, so now all that's left is you, Edward." Alice turned to me, a sequined dress draped over her arm and various jewellery items dangling from her hand. I tore my gaze from Jasper and eyed my opened trunk, unsure of where to begin. I had not looked in here in ages but I remembered everything well. It was just a task in trying to determine which was most suitable for tonight.

Sensing my uncertainty, Alice suggested that we move my trunk to my room and take a closer look. I insisted I carry it up myself and the two of them met me upstairs.

"How about this one?" Alice held up a white dress shirt, black suit jacket and black slacks. "Very Cary Grant. Gosh, he was so dreamy."

I studied her choices. "I am not fond of the jacket. It may look too formal. How about a black vest instead?" I suggested. "There should be one in there and I can wear it with my black leather loafers."

Her eyes lit up. "Oh, I love it! I guess my fashion expertise has finally rubbed off on you after all this time."

"It is difficult to avoid it when it has been engraved into my mind from decades of harassment," I joked.

With a roll of her eyes, she located the silk vest, tossed aside the suit jacket, and handed me my outfit.

"Well, if Edward is all set, I'm going to get changed," Jasper announced. He walked over to Alice. "I cannot wait to share this evening with you." He took her hand in his and looked at her adoringly.

"Just remember, love, no funny business," she warned. "These humans think we're siblings, not mates."

"We've been putting on this facade for a while now, darlin', I think I've got it down," he grinned. With a soft kiss to her forehead, he dropped her hand and exited the room.

Alice turned to me. "So are you good?"

I looked down at the items in my hand and then nodded. "I suppose I am."

"Great, now get dressed!" she giggled. "This is so much fun!"

With a small wave, she exited my bedroom and made her way towards the personal space she shared with her mate, granting me my privacy.

I looked around my own room, studying the rows of books and my extensive collection of vinyl records that I had accumulated over the years and I realized just how much this space defined me. It was neat and organized, modern in its decor but old-fashioned in its contents. Although it contained a bed I never used simply to keep up appearances, just in case we ever had visitors, everything else was a reflection of me. I had not been awarded such a privilege but I wondered what Isabella's bedroom looked like and what things I could learn about her by entering within those four walls.

I removed my school clothes and changed into my costume which felt much more comfortable to me than anything I had worn in recent years. The more formal attire I preferred for my walks were modern creations by designers Alice insisted I wear that I never heard of before, but there was something about vintage pieces that enhanced my feeling of nostalgia, and created a warmth in my silent chest, somehow linking me to my human past even though I could not remember it.

Running my hand through my hair, I studied my reflection in the mirror, opting to leave the top two buttons of my dress shirt undone, and settled on a pair of gold cufflinks I discovered in my trunk. Once I fastened the buttons on the vest and retrieved my black socks and shoes from my closet and put them on, my transformation was complete.

I was a vampire fronting as a human male. It was the ultimate deception, but I supposed it was only suitable, given that today was a holiday focused on false identity, fright and mystery.

A knock at the door drew my gaze from the mirror.

"_It's me_ _and Jasper_," Alice announced silently.

"Come in," I instructed. The door crept open and my two coven members stepped over the threshold resembling Jean Harlow and James Cagney.

"Well, look at you, Douglas Fairbanks Junior," Jasper joked.

"Actually, it's Cary Grant, very _Philadelphia Story_," Alice corrected with a proud smile.

I felt uncomfortable with the attention and looked down at my wardrobe.

"Are you certain that Isabella is dressing up?" I asked.

"Oh, not to worry, I'm sure. She made her decision long ago, but there was a last minute change in plan and I saw her wearing her new costume tonight in one of the visions I received. Would you like to see it? I can recall the image and show you," Alice offered.

"No, that will not be necessary," I replied.

Alice sighed. "You're no fun."

There was something to be said for laying eyes on a female you cared deeply about without prior knowledge of her appearance and chosen attire. The surprise was part of the thrill of the evening.

Suddenly, I felt very uneasy about how tonight would progress and if I would be so lucky as to speak with Isabella alone.

Jasper sensed my apprehension as did his mate, but he made a conscious decision not to interfere.

Alice turned to him. "Um, Jasper, my love?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Would you mind giving me and Edward some time alone? I would like to speak with him in private."

Nothing remained a secret in this household when spoken aloud, but we tried not to eavesdrop, in order to provide as much privacy as possible under certain circumstances. This was especially true of the rest of our coven when Alice and I had one of our talks.

Jasper smiled widely, taking her hand in his and giving it a kiss. "Yes, of course. I will wait for you both downstairs. Just come down when you're ready."

Nodding in my direction, he then tipped his fedora to Alice and exited the room, closing the door behind him.

Most males were very protective over their mates, especially when it came to other males, but knowing the strong bond that was cemented between Alice and I from our shared past experience, Jasper was supportive of our need to speak privately every so often.

Over the decades, in the rare instances I opened up, Alice was always my confidante. Jasper aside, she considered me her closest coven member, as I did her, and I was grateful to her for always lending me her ear even though I almost always never requested it outright. She simply sensed when there was a pressing matter I wanted to discuss. It was just unfortunate that our bond had developed from such dreadful circumstances.

Carlisle equated Alice's symptoms after the incident with those similar to what a human would experience when suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, and the close alliance that developed between her and I, he related to the fact that we both survived the harrowing event together, after I abandoned our coven and went in search of her myself, my impatience getting the best of me.

Although vampires were not subjected to the same maladies as our living counterparts, it was the best way Carlisle could describe it and I supposed in some ways he was correct. Alice was never the same since the incident and although I was hardly affected by the incident like she was, it did result in me trusting her more than our other coven members, regardless how much I cared for all of them.

I just wished Alice's emotional wounds had healed as fast as her physical ones, but much like Jasper's, hers were here to stay. She had gotten much better since then and now coped very well, but I often believed that her over-enthusiasm and sprightly attitude were her ways of dealing with her lingering torment. I kept my opinions to myself so as not to upset our other coven members, but I was sure Carlisle had his suspicions as well.

When we were alone, Alice stepped towards me, her bracelets clanging together and sparkling under the faux lights of the room as she placed her hand on my forearm. "You look very handsome, Edward. And Bella will agree."

"And you, dear Alice, look splendid. Certainly much better than your hippie phase back in the sixties," I joked.

She looked down at her own costume. "It really brings me back, you know? Sometimes I wish I could travel back in time. Things were so much simpler then..." her voice trailed off as she caught our reflections in the full-length mirror.

I sighed, recalling the decades past. "Yes, I know what you mean."

She dropped her arms to her sides and frowned. "Edward, please tell me what's troubling you."

Jamming my hands into my pockets, I broke our gaze in the mirror and shrugged. "I have always been extremely confident, and I never once second-guessed myself or thought too hard about anything. In just a few hours, everything has changed and I have a feeling that from tonight onward, nothing would be the same."

"But change is a good thing," Alice insisted. "And your nervousness stems from the fact that you love Bella, which is _also_ a good thing. I know you've always been so regimented in your existence but I believe what's happening is a wonderful step in the right direction for you."

"That is, if I do not err in some way tonight."

Alice's eyebrows furrowed together. "Why are you so worried when my visions show that everything will be alright?"

"I am controlling my own destiny, remember? One wrong move and Isabella's opinion of me could shift and, in turn, that will alter your visions, and destroy any chance I have of even befriending her."

Alice chewed on her lower lip, reflecting on my comments. "So, what exactly are you concerned about in regards to tonight?"

"I have never needed to worry about socializing with humans before because I did not care what they thought about me. But it is crucial to me that I fit in with Isabella and her friends in order to enhance my likelihood of earning her acceptance. Tonight is my first test, to see if I can successfully interact with them in a believable manner."

"Ah yes, now I understand," she replied. "Forgive me."

"Is there any advice you can offer me in socializing with Isabella as _normal _as possible?"

"Perhaps you can ease up your speech a bit like Emmett suggested earlier, minus the locker room talk, of course. But that said, do _not _compromise who you really are. You're a gentleman and any female, regardless of what decade they're living in, will appreciate that."

I nodded slowly, shifting my gaze to the horizon, the stunning view provided by the large bay window in my room. "May I have some additional time before we leave to collect my thoughts?" I requested.

Alice followed my line of sight. "I will stay with you," she replied softly.

I took a seat on the black leather couch, perpendicular to the window, and Alice sat down next to me. After a few moments of silence, staring out at the sun descending in the sky to my left, I turned my attention back to my coven member. "Alice, I must ask you a question. Please be truthful but elaborate no further than a yes or no answer."

"Yes, of course, Edward."

"Have you seen..?" I paused, afraid of what her reply might be. "Do you know how Isabella's change happens – under what circumstances – that is, if it _were_ to happen?"

"No, I have only seen the after images," she admitted. "I'm assuming that's because you haven't made up your mind when to do it yet."

My relief was accompanied by disappointment, even though I was not interested in learning the details at this time if she did know. Our eyes locked and she slid closer to me, placing her hand on top of mine.

"Please do not fret over your future. You're happy and so is she. Very much so."

I nodded, focusing on a large pine tree outside in the distance and the sparrow perched on one of the thinner, more delicate branches.

"You and I...we've always been very close since that day," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Well, as close of friends as you would allow. You were never one to grow too close to anyone until Bella came along...Anyway, what I am saying is that please know that I would never steer you wrong."

She removed her hand from mine and we leaned back in our seats, another significant silence engulfing the room.

To occupy the stillness, we shifted to face the window and Alice nestled into my side, her head resting against me. We sat together, my arm draped over her shoulders, watching the sun set on the horizon, marvelling at the beauty of the mixture of glorious reds and vibrant oranges that blanketed the forest. It was a luxury that I never took for granted and I wondered what it would be like to share this moment with Isabella.

Her faint scent clung to Alice from their encounter earlier, reminding me of what could be mine if I took a chance and accepted Alice's prophecy. I thought about her comments on my future and the possibility that something in my existence may actually turn out in my favor and benefit Isabella, the source of my happiness, as well as myself and I actually felt excited by the prospect.

To have Isabella return my feelings for the rest of eternity would be Heaven, the fate that I thought had been taken away from me long ago when I was changed into a creature without a soul. There were many options presented to me as of late but I had to focus my attention on first ensuring that my encounter with Isabella at the party tonight progressed smoothly. I had not known happiness personally for over one hundred years, but after today, we felt like old friends, and the thought of losing it before it blossomed devastated me.

"Come, it's time," Alice stood up and offered her hand when the sun disappeared completely, enveloping Forks in a starry, silent night. Discomfort clouded my expression and she smiled. "Everything will be wonderful tonight, Edward. I promise."

With her confident vow repeating in my mind, we exited my room and joined Jasper in the foyer. For this one night, I was going to award myself a carefree experience and simply enjoy Isabella's company. Tomorrow, I would worry about sorting out my destiny.

**Luckily, I have started on EO chap 11(the party) already and Alex has 12 and 13 in the can. So don't fret there. I also want to say a big thank you to all my friends I have met this year through this crazy fandom. Honestly, I have never met truer people then I have through fanfiction. MissAlex being my best friend ever. (I can't wait for Toronto this June!) I also love to thank all of my other close friends and BFF'ers. I could never do this stuff without you all! **

**So the party is next, what do you think will happen? **

**Leave me sugar!**


	12. Party Favors

**A/N **

**Hello lovlies! It's been so long and I have to tell you how sorry I am for taking so long to update. This chapter was pretty intimidating, and a whole lotta pressure! LOL! I hope you like the intereactions with Edward and Bella. Finally right? **

**I thank MissAlex for beta'ing and being the bestest bestie ever! **

**MissAlex writes Edward and his sexy velvet voice and Larin20 writes Bella and her new founded sex kitten!**

Chapter Eleven: Party Favors

_**Bella**_

As I looked at Mike's house down the street from where I parked, I had no idea how he got away with most of the stuff he did. His parents were out of town, but with a party this size, there was no way that they wouldn't find out about it. All the lights were on in the house, cars lined the streets – some were even parked on the lawn. I knew his mother from my job at Newton's Outfitters and she definitely wasn't going to be pleased about her damaged rose bushes. Music blared loudly and the guests spilled out onto the yard, causing quite the scene, but this wasn't Mike's first party and it certainly wouldn't be his last.

Giving myself one last look in the rearview mirror, ensuring that my hair was fluffed and my makeup was perfect, I got out of my truck and locked the door, waiting for Jessica and Angela to find a parking spot somewhere on the street.

I was pretty pathetic. I never checked my appearance throughout the day - that just wasn't me. This_ whole day _just wasn't me, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I had come to terms with the fact that I liked Edward and I didn't see anything wrong with making an effort to appeal to him so that he might possibly like me back.

That is, if he decided to show up.

Wobbling unsteadily on my heels, I brushed my hands down the front of my dress, searching for my friends. I still felt more naked than dressed in this costume, and the night air chilled my exposed skin, but I told myself that I was going to strut into the party and show Edward the real Bella - the confident girl who wasn't a bumbling idiot - even though the other part of me wanted to put on jeans, a sweater and running shoes, clothing that my dad would've approved of.

_Charlie_.

Undoubtedly, I was going to have to face him tomorrow because after I walked out of the house without obeying his orders, he probably had a lot to say to me.

I couldn't help but think back to the last words my father said as I walked out the door.

_I'm calling Billy Black._

Of course, I knew what that meant.

Jacob Black.

I didn't have a problem with Jake. In fact, I really liked him a lot as a friend and I often spent time with him and his girlfriend, Leah. His father was also very kind. My father and Billy became fast friends when Billy came by on his boat while my dad was fishing off the bank one day. Billy offered to take him out on the water to give him access to the bigger fish and since then they'd practically been inseparable.

Billy was the town spokesman for La Push, the Native American Reservation he and Jacob lived on near Forks, and before his accident, which left him a paraplegic, he had been Captain of the La Push Police department for over twenty-five years – another reason why he and my dad got along so well.

One day, while I was walking with Jake on La Push Beach, I asked him what exactly happened to his father. Understandably, Jacob didn't offer up much information. I supposed it was a touchy subject for him, especially since he was only eight years old when it happened. All he said was that his father was chasing a suspect in the woods and suffered an accident.

I asked if they caught the man who Billy was chasing and Jacob went rigid before he answered. His expression was laced with pure disgust, his jaw clenched, fists tight, and his dark eyes grew immeasurably darker.

"No, he didn't get away," was all he said, his voice low.

I decided not to pry any further. Since I almost lost my father, I understood how painful it must have been for Jacob to almost lose Billy, regardless of the difference in circumstances. As a result of Billy's injury, Jacob took care of a lot of stuff for him, especially since his mother had passed away a few years prior. He never told me how she died and I didn't ask, hoping that one day he would open up to me when he was ready.

I couldn't imagine having to take over so many parental roles at such a young age. While Jacob was helping his father bathe and change his catheter, I was playing with my Barbie and reading R.L. Stein.

Despite of his disability, Billy seemed well-adjusted. He was a fun, exuberant man, who loved to joke around and focus on the positive things in life. He often made me laugh and it was easy to see where Jake got his easy-going, friendly personality from. Billy was a fighter and a passionate man with a kind heart.

Really, I loved that my dad spent so much time with Billy - whether it was fishing or just relaxing on the Reservation - because whenever he came home after a day out with Billy and his friends, he was always in such a good mood. Sometimes he was drunk, or a lot drunk, depending on how loudly he snored after he passed out on his Lazy Boy, but it was wonderful to see him in such good spirits. My mother just put in her ear plugs and everything was fine. My father didn't drink much and we understood that he needed a release from time to time.

Charlie was going stir-crazy in Forks even though he knew that small town lifestyle was best for him. He tried to act like it didn't bother him but I knew it did. On his days off, he wouldn't know what to do with himself if it wasn't for Billy, except playfully hound my mother. I was glad that my dad wasn't always on the job, unlike in Seattle where he was never home, and even when he was working, in Forks, moving violations were the biggest offenses.

I begged to differ. I believed that Mike Newton was the biggest offender.

My father even volunteered his time at the La Push Police Department when they were short-handed. It helped keep him busy, which was fine with my mom. La Push wasn't exactly a Mecca for crime either so it wasn't like he was putting himself in danger there. The only calls my father received during his shifts on the Reservation were disturbances phoned in regarding some brawls between some of the young men in town - usually started by Sam Uley and his cohorts.

When my dad disappeared on most weekends, my mother and I would sometimes go to the diner, _Carnivores _that Sue Clearwater owned_._ Sue and Billy were in the throes of a budding romance so when Billy and dad were gone, my mother and I liked to keep Sue company. We usually helped her bake for the dinner rush and talked - or _shoot the shit_, as Sue liked to call it.

From my experience, things slowed down once you stepped foot on the _Rez. _There was an air of tranquility at La Push and people waved at you from their front lawns when you drove by, even if they didn't know who you were. It was like having a small town _with__in _a small town.

The traditions and rituals of the Quilette tribe were so interesting. Billy invited my family to a bonfire not too long ago and the elders of the tribe talked about the greatness of their ancestors. Their storytelling was so in-depth and imaginative. They never once treated my family like outsiders, even though we were new in town and they didn't know much about us. Jake and Leah even introduced me to their friends on the Rez too which I really appreciated, considering that when I first arrived I didn't know anyone.

Glancing at Mike's party from the street, I thought about how much Jake hated Mike Newton. Maybe that would be enough of a reason for him not to show up here.

Yeah, right.

They'd known each other for years and had an unfriendly rivalry going on, and if anything, the chance to get in Mike's face would provide additional incentive for Jake to come tonight. The Forks District School Board always played against the Reservation School District in sports and both Mike and Jake were extremely competitive football players. And in small town America, no matter what part of the country you lived in, football was life and the players were the arteries that pumped the thick blood of competition throughout the community.

Needless to say, Jake was involved in scuffles alongside his teammates against Mike and his friends on more than one occasion and fights even occurred off the field. My father always said that a mark of true men, those worthy of greatness, was dictated by their sportsmanship. Meanwhile, Jake told me that abiding by the rules wasn't always at the forefront of Mike's mind during a game and the jealously over the usual La Push victories often drove him not to play fair, which the La Push guys had no chance but to reciprocate, or else be labeled as weak.

Men and their testosterone.

Even after all the stories Jake told me, Mike still wasn't so bad to me. Sure, he was overly friendly at school and, at times, pig-headed at Newton's Outfitters, but I took it all in stride. He wasn't dangerous, just immature. And if I hadn't met Mike, I never would've met Angela so quickly after moving here.

If Jacob did make an appearance tonight, I just hoped that things wouldn't get out of hand, especially if Mike was drunk. That's all I needed - a pissing contest between Jake and Mike that I would have to undoubtedly have to break up because I was the only one on neutral territory when it came to the contention involving the Rez and Forks guys. I had more important matters to contend with – like talking with Edward Cullen.

I sighed and looked down at my costume. How did I ever agree to this?

_Oh yeah, no choice. _

My mind clouded with thoughts of Edward. If he showed up, he'd probably think I looked like some tart off the street.A guy like him was too cool for a high school kegger so that was still a pretty big _if_. He seemed to be above petty football rivalries and hormone-fueled fights.

Slumping against my truck, I waited for my friends, contemplating if I should sit down because they seemed to be taking a long time.

The wind blew, taking my hair with it, ghosting my brown locks across my shoulder blades, tickling my back and causing me to smile. The sensation reminded me of Biology class today and the feeling I had when I accidently brushed Edward's arm with mine.

Staring off into the distance, I studied the trees in the woods surrounding Newton's house as their branches swayed in the fall breeze. It was warmer than I thought - especially for late October. The long line of timbers rustled against each other as the wind picked up, making the leaves and needles hum in the air. They looked so graceful and they provided such peacefulness to my surroundings. Suddenly, the breeze stopped, enveloping me in silence and I listened to my heart beating rapidly in my chest, the only sign of life in the area.

_The calm before the storm_, I thought to myself.

A couple of cracking tree limbs in the distance jolted me out of my thoughts. At first, I was relieved that the eerily quiet was gone, but as the cracking got louder, I panicked, my eyes scanning the street for the source of the noise.

Nothing.

The cracking stopped and my heart rate shot up.

"Hello? Is somebody out there?" I called, my voice echoing down the street.

I was met with nothing silence as an overpowering scent blew in the next breeze that danced across my face. Pine. It smelled like _burning_ pine. It was intoxicating, yet strangely uncomforting, but considering that I was surrounded by one of the oldest and largest pine forests in the Pacific Northwest, I shouldn't have been surprised.

Female laughter caught my attention and I glanced down the street, spotting Angela and Jessica making their way towards me, their arms full of food trays and plastic Wal-Mart bags.

I looked toward the woods once more and decided that what I heard earlier was just something my imagination cooked up. After the dream I had this afternoon, I wasn't surprised. Even the heavy pine scent was now gone.

Focusing on the girls as they walked towards me, I stifled a laugh. Jessica tried in vain to keep her tube top from falling as she juggled all the food in her arms. Next year, I'd try and persuade her to go as a nun, instead - full habit and everything. In a situation like this, she'd thank me.

As they approached me, Jessica flashed me an inquisitive, stern look which caused my eyebrows to furrow in confusion.

"What's wrong?" she demanded with a stomp of her four inch stiletto.

"What? I was just standing here waiting for the two of you," I replied with a shrug.

Jessica rolled her eyes, "You look really...I don't know…what's the word...?"

"Hot," Angela added with a smirk.

I opened my mouth to say something snarky but Jessica interrupted.

"No, I was thinking that you look pensive," she concluded with a pout.

Angela whipped her head around so fast that I thought she would lose her balance.

"Pensive?" she asked, astonished.

"Yeah, pensive. It means thoughtful, right?"

"You're right, that's what pensive means but I wasn't sure that _you_ knew what it means, considering that it's such a _big_ word," Angela joked.

Jessica sighed, frustrated. "Pensive is only seven letters long, it's hardly big. And what is that supposed to mean? Are you saying that I'm not smart enough to say _big_ words?" Jessica looked hurt and for the first time I realized that some of our ribbing might have cut deeper than I thought.

"She means that you don't usually say stuff like that, Jessica," I explained, trying to rectify the situation. "Of course, you're a very smart person. We would never think otherwise."

I shot Angela a look, silently asking her to agree with me.

She looked embarrassed. "Bella's right, Jess. I'm sorry if I made you feel badly. It wasn't my intention." There was a deafening silence. "Uh," Angela stammered. "I think I'm going to go in now. You two coming?"

Catching Jessica's stare, I hesitated, realizing that she wanted to speak with me in private. I wished that I didn't have to stay and talk with her but her expression was serious so I knew I had no choice.

"Yeah, we'll be right there, just give us a minute," I replied.

With a nod, Angela took Jessica's bags from her, leaving her with the food trays and headed towards Mike's house. Once she was out of earshot, Jessica closed in on me, clearing her throat.

I pretended I didn't notice.

"Ahem," she repeated.

Again, I feigned ignorance.

"Ahemmm," Jessica exaggerated.

_Crap. _

"Are you okay?" I asked innocently.

"Well, I was going to ask you that same question." Jessica tilted her head to the side like an inquisitive puppy. "I meant what I said earlier - you look pensive."

I waved her off. "I'm not pensive. I'm just..... hanging out here....by my truck....just hanging...you know...by my truck…"

Wow, that wasn't very convincing.

"Bullshit!" Jessica blurted out.

Her crude outburst took me by surprise. Not that I always have a super clean mouth, but still...

"Excuse me?" I scoffed.

"I'm calling bullshit on you. I know what you're doing. You're being a chicken – you're acting insecure and so unlike yourself. It's worrying me, quite frankly."

I folded my arms across my chest. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"How dare you, Bella Swan!" Jessica countered. "Look, I know that I'm not as close to you as Angela, but you're hiding something from me, I know it. Why won't you tell me whatever it is? You can trust me just like you trust her."

My cheeks grew hot, even with the autumn breeze drifting around me.

I remained silence until Jess caught me off guard again.

"He's going to come tonight, don't worry."

My head snapped in her direction.

"Did you and Angela talk about me on the drive over here?" I inquired.

"No, but like I said, I'm smarter than you think. I simply put two and two together."

Defeated, I exhaled a deep, exhausted breath and looked at Jessica, giving up on the _I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about_ routine. She was right. She was my friend too and it wasn't right for me to exclude her.

"Okay, I _may_ have invited Edward Cullen to the party tonight and I _may_ be worried that he won't show up," I confessed. "There, I said it."

She nodded, satisfied with my reply. "I didn't mean to offend you and call you chicken, even if you are acting like one. I just wanted to... you know...be here for you. Like Angela."

I couldn't help but smile at her sincerity. Gone were the snide smirks and air-headedness, replaced by genuine concern and caring. This girl never failed to amaze me. This wasn't a side of Jessica I'd ever seen before and I felt guilty that I hadn't opened up to her earlier.

Glancing down at my feet, I realized the error of my ways. Jessica had quite an unhealthy reputation with the opposite sex and a general hatred from our own. Come to think of it, Angela and I were her only real friends, and I hadn't exactly been treating her respectfully. Sure, I was confused by her love for Mike Newton and her choice of skanky outfits, but overall, she was a good person.

"Bella?"

"Yeah, I'm here," I answered as I lifted my gaze. "I'm sorry, Jessica. It's just that this has been a crazy day and well, I know you're just trying to help me. I just wasn't expecting you to care, really. You and I never have been that close, so you caught me off guard when you totally pointed out my BS."

Jessica put down her food trays and sat down on the curb by the front of my truck - very carefully - since she was wearing the shortest mini-skirt known to mankind.

"Pull up some concrete, Swan. We need to have girl time before we go in," she smiled as she patted the space next to her.

Resigning, I checked to see if anyone was around before sitting down, using my hands to cover my backside so my underwear wouldn't show. After I settled, I glanced awkwardly at Jessica, waiting for the onslaught of questions about Edward Cullen. Not that I had any answers as of yet.

She drew in a breath and fiddled with the hem of her skirt before speaking, "I'm in the National Honors Society," Jessica started. "I have a 4.0GPA and I'm in line to become class valedictorian."

My mouth dropped open. I certainly hadn't expected that.

I assumed that Edward Cullen was the only topic at hand here. How selfish of me.

"You see, Bella, I'm not stupid like people think I am," she insisted.

"So this whole ditsy blonde routine is all fake?" I asked. "You're playing people?"

"No, not really. I'm just not letting see the whole picture," she explained. "It's self preservation, in a way."

"I don't understand. Why wouldn't you be proud of who you are?"

Jessica shifted in her seat, angling her body towards me. "My father pushes me a great deal. He wants me to do things he didn't have the opportunity to do, like go the Ivy League route, get my Masters or go to Law school…Medical school, that sort of thing." She wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling her knees into her chest. "He pushed me pretty hard growing up. I always had to have the best grades, be involved in all the extra-curricular activities I could. I just had to be the best."

I nodded, willing her to continue.

"He sent me to the Wainright Academy in Port Angeles when I was in the fourth grade. It's a school for gifted kids where they specialize in many areas of academia. It was also a boarding school, so I was gone nine months out of the year. I was in the Language Arts programs they offered because my father felt that if I mastered at least two languages, it would be beneficial to me later on when I became a diplomat or something outlandish like that." She threw her head back and laughed. "Like I want to be a diplomat! But see, that's the thing - my father never asked me what I wanted." She exhaled a deep breath, looking forlorn. "I love to draw, Bella… I always dreamed of being an artist..." her voice broke. "I was in the fourth grade - who sends their only daughter away to boarding school at the age of nine?"

I didn't know what to say, so instead, I kept quiet and rubbed her forearm, letting her know that I was here for her. This was definitely not a conversation I ever expected to have with Jessica.

"My father told me it was for the best and that I needed to have a more structured education. Wainright would give me all I needed and more so I could get into a good University, get into a good Grad school program, secure a prominent career and live a privileged life when it was all said and done. Don't get me wrong - I was grateful for the opportunity I was given at boarding school. My father always told me that he was giving me a gift that he never had..."

Her eyes glistened with tears and she blinked them back. "I hated it there, at the school. I didn't have any friends and I felt so inadequate around my fellow classmates. Needless to say, I wasn't the best at that school and that bothered my father immensely. I had to give him constant progress reports on my weekly reviews and he'd schedule conference calls with my instructors on the phone when my grades fell below a 3.9." She stopped and wiped her eyes. "A 3.9 isn't bad, Bella."

"Hey, I wish I had a 3.9," I giggled. Jessica gave me a small smile, brushing more tears away.

"By the eighth grade, I was burnt out. I was so tired of trying to keep up with my father's standards and I felt like I was losing myself in the process. I became a robot - sleep, eat, study....sleep, eat, study. My only thought at the time was that I needed to come home. I missed Forks! Who misses Forks?" she laughed. "I begged and pleaded with my parents to send me back to Forks to go to high school with _normal_ kids."

"I understand," I told her. "I can't imagine being away from my friends and family for so long, especially at such a young age. I'm sure it was very hard for you."

"It was," she sniffed, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "I missed my old friends from grade school and I worried that I had been gone so long that they wouldn't remember me. Or that they'd know who I was but exclude me. I didn't have any kind of social interaction at Wainright. It was a very lonely place for me." Jessica looked down at the ground as she played with a couple of blades of grass beside her.

Her father effectively stripped away her childhood by sending her to that boarding school, forcing his expectations on her. I couldn't even imagine having someone demand so much of you at such a young age.

"The conversation didn't go well when I approached my father about moving home," she continued with a sigh. "He felt that I was giving up on everything he dreamed for me. He told me I was a failure and that he wouldn't let me leave the school. So in my own form of protest, I stopped eating and bathing, I let my grades drop. After a month of depriving myself, my parents finally pulled me out of Wainright because they received so many complaints from students and faculty about my health and behavior. Ultimately, my dad agreed that I could go to Forks High on only one condition - that I kept my GPA above 3.8 and applied to the Ivies in final year."

"But I still don't understand - why the act?" I pressed.

Jessica bit her lip and lowered her gaze to the ground. "When I got back to Forks and enrolled in school, many people remembered me but didn't really go out of their way to be friends with me again. They thought I was the stuck up brainiac who thought that Forks wasn't good enough for her. They assumed that I was too involved in my studies to have fun or whatever."

Jessica kept her eyes on her shoes. "I wasn't going to drown at Forks like I did at Wainright. I just couldn't live through that loneliness again."

"So you re-invented yourself?"

"Yes, you can say that. I thought to myself, who would I like to hang out with if I was me? I wanted to be the fun girl who had the boyfriends, who went out on Friday nights, who never went a day without gathering the latest gossip. I wanted to be the girl that everyone envied, but most of all, I wanted to be popular. So I gave it a shot and found that although no one cared for the bookworm Jessica Stanley, they did care about the new flirtatious, bubbly Jessica Stanley."

"Oh, Jess..."

Jessica held up her hand, stopping me. "Please let me finish." I nodded and she continued. "I started wearing more revealing, trendy clothing, more make-up, I high-lighted my hair and flirted my ass off.

Soon, everyone forgot the old me and wanted to get to know the new me. I started dating a lot, and maybe that was a mistake, but I loved the attention from guys. My ego was massaged in more ways than one if you know what I mean."

I scrunched my nose. "Gross. I like you opening up to me, but I don't need to hear _everything_," I teased.

Jessica rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Okay, sorry Virgin Mary - but you get my point, right?"

"I think so, although I don't believe that you should be someone you're not just to impress people. I'm proud to be your friend. You don't need to pretend in front of me."

"Trust me, I know. After awhile, I started losing friends because of my reputation with guys and when that happened, I wished that I had made better choices. Next year I'll be away at college, hopefully, so I can start fresh and this time I'll do it right. The bottom line is that it's important to maintain your self-confidence no matter what, and that's my advice to you. Don't let anyone influence you to compromise on who you really are – whether they're doing it on purpose or not."

With those words, I understood what this was all about. Before today, I couldn't have cared less about what people thought about me. That is, until Edward Cullen walked into Biology. Unbeknownst to him, he made me doubt myself and caused my self-confidence to dwindle and of all people, Jessica picked up on that right away because she saw herself in me.

Jessica adjusted her tube top. "Anyway, Angela was the only one who stuck around. She's one of the dearest, nicest people I know, besides you…"

Draping my arm around her shoulders, I rested my head against hers. "I'm glad we're all friends and thank you for sharing that with me."

"You're wonderful the way you are, Bella. When you came to Forks and I saw how confident you were – smart, pretty, a guy-magnet, the whole package - I realized that I never had to pretend in order to be accepted. I admired you – I still do. Please don't ever lose that, okay?"

I giggled. "Deal."

"Good because when I saw you by your truck just now, I saw uncertainty and low self-esteem. I had to make you see that you don't need to feel any of that because you're great as you are."

"Thanks Jess. It's true. I've been worried about Edward because I invited him and if he does show up, I have no experience as to what to do next. And worse - what if he rejects me?"

She shrugged, brushing the wisps of her hair from her face as they danced in the breeze. "It will work out. You got to have faith and plus, in an outfit like that, you're bound to capture his attention," she teased. "There is going to be no road blocks for you tonight, believe me."

"And Mike will just love you in your get-up too."

"True," she admitted with a grin. "But I gotta say that these heels are killing me and before the night is over, I might go rummaging through Mike's closet for a proper shirt and some flip-flips to wear."

I was about to reply when a loud honk blasted throughout the cool night air, ricocheting down the street.

I knew the roar of that diesel engine anywhere.

Rolling my eyes, I stood up and brushed the bits of grass and gravel off of my backside. Jessica followed suit, looking in the direction of the rehabbed bright yellow GTO making its fast approach toward my truck.

Preparing myself for what was to come, I placed my car keys in my pocket as Jessica picked the food trays off the ground.

I groaned as the GTO careened to a stop before us.

"Who is that?" Jessica asked as she attempted to peer through the tinted windows to see inside the vehicle.

"My road block," I muttered under my breath.

The car idled for a few moments, rumbling the pavement, the heat of the engine wafting in our direction. The powerful engine revved not once, not twice, but _three_ times.

Always the showman.

I folded my arms across my chest, feeling impatient, when the passenger side window rolled down, revealing a familiar, friendly face. She was gorgeous, with flawless skin the color of caramel, and long black hair that parted in the middle and flowed down to her waist. Her smile was broad and infectious and her eyes were the richest toffee color I'd ever seen.

If it was only her in that vehicle, I wouldn't have minded, but she was only one half of the occupants in that GTO.

"Hey, Bella," Leah greeted, resting her elbow on the window frame, the driver's face concealed by shadows. "He made me come." She thumbed the occupant next to her. "I told him that this was so inappropriate, but does he listen to me? No."

Before I could respond, the GTO surged forward and pulled off the road, coming to a stop on Newton's front lawn. Leah opened her door and emerged gracefully, flipping her hair over her shoulders. She wore a stunning white chiffon wrap dress with a daringly high slit up the leg, gold Grecian-style sandals on her feet and a crown of gold leaves on her head. She looked so classy with a figure to die for and I assumed that she was dressed as a Greek Goddess for Halloween.

"What is she, like, twenty-five?" Jessica hissed.

I would have thought the same thing if I didn't know her. Her facial features were striking and she very tall, almost six feet, with curves in all the right places. Very model-esque.

"She's our age," I whispered as Leah strolled across the street towards us. Jessica's mouth dropped open, but she quickly closed it and curled her lips into a smile when Leah approached.

"This party looks pretty big," Leah observed with a smirk, looking over her shoulder at the house. "Too bad it's at fucking Mike Newton's house."

Jessica went rigid beside me.

_Uh oh. _

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jessica quipped snidely, squaring her shoulders. Leah narrowed her eyes and looked Jessica up and down, unaware of Jess's love for Mike.

"It means that I'm not a fan of Mike Newton. He's an ass," Leah replied flippantly.

"And who are _you_?" Jessica stepped closer to Leah, stopping within inches of her. Leah stiffened as though she felt threatened and I heard a soft growl emanate from her chest which surprised me. "You don't even go to our school so who invited you?" Jessica sneered.

_Okay, time to step in..._

And here I thought that Jacob was going to be the only problem tonight.

"Hey Leah," I interrupted, forcing my way between them. "This is Jessica Stanley. She and Mike Newton are _dating _- well, I guess you can call it that - and Jessica, this is Leah Clearwater. She and I are friends, so she's welcome here too. I'm sure Leah didn't mean anything mean about Mike and his party. We're just here to have fun tonight, right?"

Leah put on a tight smile and stuck out her hand, "She's right. I'm sorry, Jessica. Sometimes I let my mouth run when I really shouldn't. It's nice to meet you."

Jessica extended her hand and they both shook amicably. "Nice to meet you too, Leah," she responded.

There was lull in the conversation and I looked between the two of them, as they stood there tight-lipped.

I clapped my hands together and forced a cheerful tone. "Well, why don't we head inside?" I turned to Jessica. "I'll help you carry the food trays."

I picked up two of the trays and juggled them in my hands, while Jessica picked the remaining ones. Leah offered to help but Jessica declined her assistance.

As we crossed the road, the GTO driver's side door opened and we watched as Jake emerged from the car. He wore a tight white t-shirt which showed off his muscular chest and the incredible breadth of his shoulders and dark denim blue jeans which hung low on his hips. He opted not to dress up, which didn't surprise me.

Jake was a big guy and looked very intimidating if you didn't know him personally. He towered over almost everyone I knew, plus he was strong. In fact, given his physical transformation in the last few months, I often wondered if he took steroids. Back in the summer, he was about a foot shorter and around sixty pounds lighter. But when I asked him about it, all he chalked it up to was good genes and a high daily milk intake.

"I'm just a growing boy," he had told me.

I had no choice but to believe him. After all, he was smarter than to ever take drugs.

Leah took in a sharp breath as he strutted towards us, running his hand through his short black hair, which he had cut recently because as he explained - he began finding it annoying when it fell to his shoulders.

As I glanced at Leah out of the corner of my eye, I smiled. She looked smitten and oh-so in love as she watched her boyfriend approach, her eyes glazed over. Their connection was so strong, I envied them. Jake was protective over me in a brotherly manner, but when it came to Leah, his dedication was unmatched. He was head over heels for her. She was his entire world.

As we stepped onto the sidewalk, Jake placed his arm protectively around Leah, his rich brown skin glistening in the moonlight which accentuated his masculine, handsome features.

Glancing at my friend, I offered up a dry smile. "Hey, Jake."

He didn't reply. All he did was scowl as he looked me up and down.

Leah rolled her eyes.

"Good Lord, look at the size of him," Jessica remarked under her breath.

"I like my men big," Leah replied with a seductive smile, slinking her arm around his waist.

Jessica blushed, realizing that she said that out loud.

"I'm 6'5" and my shoe size is a fourteen," Jake boasted, pulling Leah into his side with a wink. "And you know what they say about men with big feet."

"What? That they're impotent for life?" I piped up, sticking my tongue out at him.

Jake winced, clutching his hand over his heart. "Ah Bells, you just hurt my fragile ego."

"Please," I giggled. "That ego of yours is reinforced with steel. Anyway, let's cut the crap. I know why you're here."

"Why is he here?" Jessica hissed in my ear.

"He's here because of a very unnecessary request from my father," I replied.

"Hey, don't blame me, Bells. I'm just following orders from the Forks Chief of Police. He's pretty threatening, you know?" Jake looked me over again with a smirk. "Besides, what the hell are you wearing? Or better question – what the hell happened to the rest of your costume?"

"I don't need your protection," I argued.

"Regardless, I'm fully prepared to throw down if any guy steps out of line. I may be outnumbered here since its Newton's home turf and all, but given my strength, you don't have to worry. You'll be safe tonight, Bells."

My eyes widened. "Oh no, you don't. There is not going to be any _throwing down_ tonight. I can take care of myself. Besides what's going to happen anyway? It's Forks."

Jake's eyes darkened. "A lot of things can happen, Bella."

"Okay, now you're being overdramatic. Let's go inside, please," I begged, my eyes scanning the street for any signs of the Cullens. "I want to actually enjoy the party before it's over."

"Wooo Hooo!! Let's drink!" Jessica shouted.

I rolled my eyes. I guessed that the real Jessica Stanley I'd just encountered was going back into her hiding place for the rest of the night.

Jake grunted in response and the four of us walked towards the front door, amongst some of the party guests who stumbled around drunk on the grass. As we passed Jake's car, he left Leah's side and opened the door, rummaging inside for something.

"Here, Bella. Charlie told me to make sure that you wore this," he snickered, removing a full length black parka out of the GTO and shoving it in my direction.

I balked and kept walking, bypassing the coat. "You've got to be kidding me." I turned to the girls. "Come on, Jess, Leah…let's go. Jake can stay out here."

With a low growl, I heard the GTO's door slam shut and the shuffling of Jake's feet across the lawn. Within seconds, he was opening the door for us and leading Leah inside.

We entered the packed house, the loud music pounding in my ears as people from school waved hello.

Angela was in the corner by the fireplace with a drink in hand, conversing with Ben, who looked at her like she was the only one in the room. She was glowing and I couldn't help but smile at how happy she was.

Jess and I headed for the kitchen in the back and spread out all the food we brought next to the stuff Angela had put out earlier. Jake positioned himself against a wall with Leah in the living room where he could keep an eye on me, his brown eyes burning into my back as we finished setting everything up.

This was not going well. If Edward did show up, I'd have to make sure that Jake didn't ruin anything for me.

"Bella, thanks for helping me with the food," Jessica yelled over the commotion as she stepped back and surveyed the buffet, satisfied with her contribution. "Do you think Mike will like it?"

"He better!" I shouted, placing my hand on her shoulder, hovering my lips next to her ear. "But do me a favor – don't go all floozy on Mike tonight because you think that's what he wants. I'm taking the advice you gave me outside so please do the same. Let him see the real you - the awesome girl that I know and love. I know for a fact that he'll like what he sees. Forget about waiting until college to expose that to the world."

"I might need some liquid courage for that big reveal," she joked, fiddling with her tube top. She glanced over my shoulder and I turned around, zeroing in on Mike as he worked the crowd, wearing a ridiculously cliché vampire costume, complete with fake fangs, a cape and dress clothes. "I'll be back," Jess informed me. "Do you want anything to drink?"

I shook my head and Jessica smiled, disappearing into the crowd in the living room.

Drinking was really the last thing on my mind and even if I wanted a drink, alcohol was not a good idea right now. But I was definitely hungry. Hanging out by the buffet table, I began picking at the food we laid out, surveying the party from my temporary residence at the kitchen counter which just so happened to give me a perfect view of the front door, and unfortunately, Jake's watchful stare.

Leah swayed her hips, dancing seductively before her boyfriend, but he didn't take the bait. He remained propped against the wall, arms crossed, nursing a beer, with his eyes locked on me. I purposely ignored him and kept eating.

Most of the crowd was in the living room, kitchen and back deck. The music was deafening and I tried to be nice, greeting everyone with a smile if they said hello to me first. As a rule, no one was allowed upstairs so since I didn't see the Cullens on the main floor, it was clear that they weren't here.

While I waited, I filled up on enough cheese cubes and carrot sticks that my stomach ceased growling and began yelling at me to stop being such a pig. In order to distract myself, I made my way into the living room, my gaze locked on the front door as my heart pounded in my chest from anticipation.

There were so many people in the house that it was difficult to move around without getting pushed or poked or having to dodge an alcoholic beverage that some drunk, hormonal teenager was waving around as they shouted animatedly over the music.

On more than one occasion, I was asked what my costume was and I stopped bothering to explain after the millionth time, insisting that I didn't dress up and that this was my regular attire. It was just easier. Apparently, no one watched old movies anymore.

Frustrated and alone, even amongst a crowd of my peers, I looked across the room again in search of Jess and Angela. I caught a glimpse of Angela heading into the kitchen with Ben - her Hans Solo - in tow. He held her hand and whispered something in her ear which made her giggle and I decided to stay where I was so I wouldn't be the third wheel. They were having fun without me.

"I _vaunt _to suck your blood!" Someone with a terrible Transylvanian accent screamed in my ear.

With a shriek, I jumped. Then I felt something graze against my bare neck.

"What the hell?" I cried.

I whipped around, only to find Mike standing with Jessica, a bunch of newly acquired fake blood caked onto his chin, trailing from his mouth.

That's when it hit me. The guy had actually tried to fake bite me! Gross.

Mike looked even sillier up close, especially with all the baby powder he put on his face in an attempt to look pale and dead. I could smell that stuff a mile away, it was so strong.

Jessica giggled and leaned into me, gripping my forearm as Mike beamed proudly. "Isn't that hilarious?" she exclaimed. "He's a vampire!"

"Uh, yeah, that's great, Jess." I rolled my eyes, diverting my gaze back to the front door, noticing Jacob glaring at Mike from across the room.

Leah had her hand on his forearm, undoubtedly keeping him from storming over here. I just hoped that she could keep that leash on him for the rest of the evening.

"Come on, baby," Mike winked to Jess. "Let's go see who else I can make my victim."

The thought made me shudder.

She giggled and he took her hand, dragging her across the room through the crowd.

By this time, as more people piled into the small house, it was so loud in here that my head hurt. The music blared to the point of obnoxiousness, the bass thumping repeatedly, rattling my bones. The vibrations ticked in my chest like a time bomb and my entire body trembled, the food I ate churning in my stomach, making me nauseous.

Out of desperation, I scanned the main floor, looking for a place to escape. Off the kitchen was a sunroom – an oddity in a town like this – which only had a handful of people in it. There was also a vacant couch where I could sit down so I decided to head in that direction, my feet aching for a break. I figured that I could check in on the party every five minutes or so for the Cullens and still not run the risk of missing them.

Just as I turned around, that's when I felt it. My spine tingled and my face warmed as though I was blushing. It was the oddest sensation. The hairs on my arms stood on end as I halted in mid-turn, yet on the inside, I felt as though I'd just had a drink of a large cup of hot chocolate. Sweet and warm.

Placing my palm against the nearest wall so I wouldn't topple over, I closed my eyes, praying that my equilibrium would set itself straight again. It was like I was drunk and I wished that I was wearing flats instead of these insane feet killers called high heels.

I hoped I wasn't getting sick.

Ugh, what was in those cheese cubes?

As I found my bearings_, _another wave of chill washed over me, contrasting with the warmth in my heart. It felt as though a fuse was lit in my veins. The next sensation that rocked me, made me gasp. My body throbbed and it was then that I determined what it was.

_Arousal._

It was arousal and it felt glorious. The pulsating between my legs was unlike anything I'd ever felt before.

I'd never had a sexual relationship with anyone, but now my thoughts were consumed with the idea. And in my mind, Edward was my partner.

Opening my eyes, I searched for him. He was here, I just knew it. This was the same feeling I experienced during Biology when Edward walked into the room but it had _intensified – _so much so that I was desperate to find him. I needed to be near him. Now.

My eyes swept the party and I saw Jake laughing with Leah along the far wall of the living room with a drink in his hands, distracted, thank God.

The butterflies, the hot and cold, the air not reaching my lungs...the dizziness. It all felt amazing. Yet Edward was nowhere to be found.

How could that be?

It felt as though he were right beside me, pleasuring me with his close proximity and burning stare. How could I feel that, like I did in my dream, when he wasn't even in the room?

I pushed my way through the crowd, toward the kitchen, when suddenly, without a will of my own, I turned back around and my eyes travelled to the front of the house again.

The door opened as though it moved in slow motion. Time stood still, the people around me fading into the background, the music nothing but a soft murmur now as I waited eagerly to find out whom was entering the party. As if I didn't already know.

I didn't even realize that I was holding my breath until I began feeling faint. The air whooshed out of my lungs as the seconds ticked by.

The door opened more and...

Well, I was right about the _Cullen_ part.

Alice Cullen poked her head inside, dancing across the threshold, her striking amber eyes scanning the living room. She smiled and pushed the door open all the way as someone, who I assumed was her brother, Jasper, walked in behind her.

When she closed the door behind them, my heart fell.

The butterflies in my stomach turned into boulders rolling around my gut and they felt as though they weighed a thousand pounds.

Edward wasn't here.

He didn't accept my invite.

I should've known. He'd probably laughed and threw it away.

My gaze fell to the floor when I heard a musical voice calling my name.

"Bella!" Alice sang, her voice rising above all the commotion.

I lifted my head, catching her gaze. Her face lit up and she waved excitedly, grabbing Jasper's forearm and leading him in my direction. She looked amazing as I assumed she would. She wore a flapper-style dress, complete with sequins and fringe, shiny high heels, and white gloves that reached her elbows. An elegant white feather jetted off of the white headband adorning her head, a stark contrast to her short black hair, authenticating the look.

As she travelled toward me, her costume fluttered around her, the detailing on her dress sparkling throughout the room. Her smile was radiant and despite my disappointment at Edward's failure to show up, I found myself grinning back, offering up a wave so she wouldn't think that something was wrong. She was intuitive that one and I didn't want to broach the subject of her bronze haired brother tonight.

As they approached, her companion nodded at me, a smile gracing his flawless face.

And there were those amber-colored eyes again. Odd. They weren't related by birth, right?

"Hi, Bella," Alice giggled, looking around. "Great party. I love the energy." She laced her arm through her brother's, introducing us. "This is Jasper."

"It is lovely to meet your acquaintance," he greeted, adjusting his bright blue tie, his southern accent warming my heart. He wore a black Zoot suit, looking absolutely dashing, and his blonde hair peeked out from under his fedora.

His gentlemanly manner was refreshing. Their parents raised them properly for they were all impeccably groomed and very polite - a rarity in teenagers nowadays. I liked Jasper right away.

"Thank you, you too," I replied, studying the perfect adopted siblings before me. They had such lovely demeanors but they obviously weren't big on handshakes.

I was about to strike up a conversation with them when unexpectedly, Alice's nose crinkled and Jasper's face tightened, his eyes narrowing on alert. Their expressions fell as he whispered something into her ear that I couldn't make out. As he leaned down, I got a clear view of the front of the house again and the heat that blasted through me almost brought me to my knees.

The door opened and in walked the guy I'd been waiting for all evening - my whole life - the moonlight from outside creating a spotlight behind him which illuminated his perfect form like he was an angel descended from the Heavens.

Edward's subtle, yet breathtaking arrival caused some of the guests by the entrance to stop and gape, but I could guarantee that whatever they were thinking, it didn't even come close to the reaction I had.

I felt a steady, powerful magnetism radiating from Edward, pulling me towards him, filling the gaping hole that had been present in my chest before his appearance at the party. I hadn't even realized how much he completed me until this very moment. He was essentially a stranger yet I felt closer to him than anyone else in this room. No, that didn't seem to cover it. The truth was that I felt closer to him than any anyone I'd ever known throughout my entire _life._

I had no idea where these feelings came from but I didn't question it.

Edward's tall body swept across the foyer and his eyes locked on mine immediately, as if he was attuned to my presence, bypassing everyone else in the room.

"Oh look, Edward's here," Alice announced nonchalantly. "He finally found a parking spot."

Parking spot…

I mentally smacked myself upside the head.

Of _course._

"Uh, Bella, we'll see you later," Alice announced, exchanging a knowing glance with Jasper.

I didn't even bother to erase the adoration from my face as I stared at Edward, even though I knew that my feelings looked extremely obvious. I vaguely caught Alice wink at me before she and Jasper were gone, heading toward the back of the house, leaving me transfixed on the remarkable man before me.

Edward wore an old-fashioned outfit but on him it seemed very stylish. The sleeves of his white, buttoned down dress shirt were fastened with cufflinks which shone under the lights, and the silk black vest he wore hugged his torso, accentuating his perfect, lean physique.

His black tie was tucked into the vest and his black slacks were pressed immaculately, flowing down his slender legs with a crease in the front. He carried his black coat in his hand and once again, I couldn't tear my gaze away even though he knew I was staring at him.

Edward's eyes narrowed like he was concentrating hard and I prayed to the Halloween fairies that he would walk over here because my legs felt like they were cased in cement and I didn't trust myself to move from this spot.

His eyes smoldered into mine and his jaw tensed, displaying his chiseled bone structure. My lightheadedness was back and the room around me became nothing but a blur – everything except him.

His mouth parted as he zeroed in on me and I suddenly felt naked. Very naked. But as his eyes raked over my body again I no longer felt insecure. I felt empowered, Angela's and Jessica's advice sweeping into my mind. Squaring my shoulders, I did the unthinkable.

I waved.

His lips curled ever so slightly, displaying a hint of a smirk and he began a tantalizing prowl toward me. If I thought my body was throbbing before, it was nothing compared to how I felt right now.

The crowd parted for him, sensing his spectacular presence as he floated across the room.

I bit my lip, trying to squelch my traitor blush.

It didn't work.

The rush of heat from my heart to my extremities incapacitated me as Edward ran his hand through his hair. Did he feel that strange, but remarkable, butterfly/warm/dizzy thing like I did?

As he closed the gap between us, I repeated my mantra in my head.

_Be yourself._

_Be yourself. _

No more granny panties. Tonight, I was finally graduating to Victoria's Secret.

As he grew closer, I marveled at his stunning features. His hair was a mess of red and brown, the various intricate facets glistening in the bright lights of the room, his face was a flawless as I remembered from this morning and his plump lips taunted me as his eyes swept my body.

I couldn't breathe.

I figured that offering up a welcoming expression would be the logical next step to take so I smiled sweetly. I didn't think it was possible, but as a large grin swept across his face, he looked even more gorgeous than before.

Our impending encounter was going so well that I actually considered making my way towards him too, this was, until his nostrils flared and the corners of his mouth turned down.

I dropped my arm to my side in shock, fear steamrolling over me, crushing my chest, suffocating me. That wasn't the reaction I expected from Edward and I had to admit, it was a little disconcerting.

Refusing to play the damsel in distress, I willed my feet to shuffle forward.

I didn't get far.

A very strong hand gripped my forearm, yanking me away from Edward. As my body shifted, I was met with Jake's darkened stare. His brown eyes were laced with rage, the veins in his neck bulging as his chest rose and fell, his breaths labored.

"We need to leave, _NOW_!" Jake growled, the incredible heat of his skin burning into mine, causing a scorching sensation to run up the arm he held.

I scoffed at his command. "Excuse me?"

Looking down at his hand grasping my arm, I struggled to pull away.

"Will you let me go?!" I demanded, my eyes narrowed.

I glanced behind Jacob at Leah, but judging from the look on her face, she wasn't on my side.

"Bella, we need to leave," she insisted, her voice low, her face tight. I'd never seen her so serious before and there was a hint of fear in her eyes.

Both she and her boyfriend were absolutely stiff, their bodies trembling as they glared behind me.

At who? Edward?

Now, this was taking it too far. They didn't even know him!

"What's wrong?" I asked, knowing full well that this was no longer just a concern over my costume choice.

Jake exhaled, his nostrils flaring like those on a bull enticed by a bright red cape. He guarded Leah as though he was anticipating a brawl.

His upper lips curled off of his teeth as Leah placed her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. "Please, Jake. Relax. You have to," she warned.

Exhaled a deep breath as he stared behind me. "You've got to be kidding me - here, in _Forks_, again?" he seethed.

I'd never seem him like this before. I attempted to turn around to find out where Edward was, hoping that Jake and Leah hadn't scared him off, but Jake's grip was too strong, holding me in place – so much so that my entire arm was throbbing with pain.

"Let go!" I shouted.

Leah stepped to her boyfriend's side but he blocked her way again, shooting her a warning look which she obeyed. "Jacob is right. Bella, please listen to him. We have to get out of here."

"Uh, the stench…" Jake spat.

I breathed in deeply, confused.

Smell? What smell?

I tried to pry myself from his grip again only to be met with more pain. "Ouch, Jake, that hurts!"

Then, just when I thought that Jacob couldn't look any angrier, a terrifying growl rumbled in his chest, the tremors radiating from his body to mine through his grip on my arm, causing the color to drain from my face.

"Babe, you need to calm down. Not here," Leah hissed in his ear.

He paid her no attention, his growl getting louder. He looked like he was going to lose control.

I'd never been afraid of him until now.

"I believe she told you to let her go," a velvety voice boomed from behind me, his intoxicating presence hovering mere inches from my back. The butterflies returned and I didn't need to turn around to know who my savior was. "If you do not want any trouble, I suggest you listen to her. Now." His tone was firm. Commanding. And incredibly sexy.

Jake's chest continued to snarl as he glared in Edward's direction. He sounded like an animal, like a dog guarding his bone. But miraculously, he released his hold on my arm. I rubbed my skin, wincing as I turned around to face Edward.

The tension in the air was palpable as the two men faced each other, eyes locked, neither of them showing any signs of backing down.

Even Leah looked like she was going to bite Edward's head off.

"Uh, hey, Edward," I greeted, attempting to lighten the mood.

Wow, I had all day to come up with something better to say to him other than _hey_ and I still made an idiot out of myself.

My face grew red, but I smiled sweetly, pretending I felt calm, which couldn't have been farther from the truth.

Edward's eyes flickered to mine, softening momentarily, but his defensive stance did not falter.

"Hello Isabella." He nodded before focusing back on Jake, his glare returning.

Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice my pitiful greeting for he was too focused on my friend, but Jake, on the other hand, was looking at me like I was ten degrees of stupid and thanks to him I felt it.

"Her name is Bella," Jake corrected. "And we were just leaving. Bella, let's go." He attempted to take my arm again but I stepped away from his grasp.

"Jake, I'm staying here - with Edward."

His eyes widened. "You know this…this…" he sputtered, motioning to Edward, his face turning purple.

"This _nice guy_, you mean?" I finished his sentence. "Yes I do," I added proudly.

Jake grabbed both of my shoulders, looking me straight in the eye but quickly dropped his arms to his sides as Edward stepped beside me, glowering at him.

There was a flicker of panic in Jake's eyes as he towered over me. "Bella, I can't protect you here. Mike and his goons are a different story but this…new development - you're no longer safe - and unfortunately, I can't interfere. You need to trust me." Jake closed his eyes briefly. "Please, come with me," he begged, the new softness of his voice causing me great concern.

"Hey, look who we have here."

Jacob's attention was captured by a drunk Mike. He approached us, stumbling from side to side, his half-lidded eyes lazily scanning my friends from La Push.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward look at Mike and his vampire costume as though it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever seen. I couldn't have agreed more.

"I didn't think that my invite made it down to La Push," Mike drawled, a half-empty beer bottle dangling from his hand. "In fact, my invites _never_ make it down to La Push. I don't steep that low."

"Fuck you, Newton," Jake cursed, advancing forward.

Mike mimicked Jake's step, meeting him chest to chest. Or more like head to chest in Mike's case. "No fuck you, Black," he hollered over the music, effectively gaining the attention of some of the party guests in the vicinity. "What are you doing here? The door is over there." Mike pointed to the front of the house. "Leave!"

"I'm not the one you should be worried about," Jake barked, towering over him, flashing a glare at Edward in the process.

"How about we venture into the kitchen?" Edward suggested softly in my ear, his husky tone setting my skin ablaze.

I smiled, lost in the beauty of his voice. "Absolutely."

Jacob growled again, wheeling around to face me. "Don't move, Bella. I'm not done yet."

I froze, his angry command catching me off guard.

I opened my mouth to protest but closed it quickly as an unexpected vulnerability shone from Jake's eyes into mine.

"Can you just hold on a sec, Bells?" he pleaded, desperation lacing his voice.

I nodded, feeling Edward's tense presence beside me.

What was _with_ these guys tonight?

Jessica walked up beside Mike, tugging at his arm. "Come on, honey. Let's go. Don't let them ruin your party." She winked at me, letting me know that she was trying to help me break up this potential fight.

Mike muttered something under his breath, sizing up Jacob, and decided that retreating was his best option, especially since he was wobbly on his feet while Jake's soles were planted firmly into the floor, his body and stare unwavering.

"Just don't drink any of my beer," Mike slurred, stumbling away with Jess. The two of them were swallowed up by the crowd, but unfortunately, the thickness in the air didn't disappear when they did.

"Oh, you won't have to worry about that," Jake mumbled in reply to Mike even though he was long gone. "Because I'm leaving." He looked at me, holding out his hand. "_We're_ leaving, Bella."

There was no way that I was leaving now when Edward just got here. Just because Jake decided to go all caveman on me, like I was some possession of his to manhandle, didn't mean that I had to obey.

"I don't need your protection, Jake," I argued, straightening my posture. "I'm a big girl. If I survived the harrowing streets of Seattle, I think I can make it one night in Forks at a high school party. Besides, I just met Edward today. He's new in town and I was going to introduce him to some people and get to know him better."

I turned to Edward, who looked smug. "If that is alright with you…" I added, proud of my newly-restored confidence.

"I would like that very much," Edward replied softly, his melodic tone flowing directly to my heart, causing me to smile.

"Fuck!" Jake's hands balled into fists as he turned to Leah, talking to her in a heated whisper, most of which I couldn't make out. Except one thing.

"There's more, I can smell them," he murmured, his body shaking, his muscles bulging from rage.

I had no idea what he meant, but I found myself getting angrier at him. I couldn't believe that he was being so rude. Edward was new in town but as recently as August, so was I. Yet Jake hadn't been this unwelcoming to me. I guessed it was a male/territorial thing.

Leah whispered something back and Jake handed her his phone. She began texting quickly, her eyebrows furrowed as she studied the screen.

Edward was still in defensive mode beside me, his possessiveness radiating from his stiff form in droves. Yet it felt oddly comforting to me. I couldn't believe that he'd stayed - most guys would've high-tailed it out of here. I was thrilled that he was going through all this trouble just for me. It gave me hope that he wanted to get to know me better.

I placed my hand on my hip. "Jake, you're taking Charlie's request too far, don't you think?"

"You need not worry," Edward assured him, his soft stare still transfixed on me. "I will take care of her."

Oh my.

My heart swelled at his beautiful words – the words I longed to hear from him but thought only existed in my dreams. There was an air of calmness about Edward that made me feel safe and I found myself stepping closer to his side, allying myself with him against Jake and Leah.

"Jake," Leah announced with wide eyes. His gaze softened as he met her stare. "My dad wants me home, considering…" her voice trailed off as she glanced at me with an apologetic smile.

"Fine," he reluctantly agreed. "I'll walk you out, but I'm going to stick around the area. You take my car. I'll be home later."

Leah nodded and Jake leaned in, capturing her lips tenderly with his before resting his forehead against hers. They seemed to have a silent conversation before breaking apart, their stiffness returning.

I looked to Jake, recalling what he just said. "But it's a long way back to the Reservation from here on foot," I reminded him. "Are you insane?!"

"Don't worry about me, Bella," he whispered, leaning in to me. "I'd be more concerned about yourself at this point."

Jake's closer proximity caused Edward to switch up his stance beside me in an even more protective manner than before - if that were even possible.

"Oh, I'll be fine," I told him, rolling my eyes as I waved him off. "There is nothing to worry about."

Jake exhaled a deep breath, his eyes burning into mine while Edward stared at me from the side. I felt like I was cornered, yet my allegiance shifted towards Edward, rather than the friend I'd known almost three months, the guy I considered a brother.

"I just…I really wish you would listen to me." Jake pleaded.

I stiffened and stepped back. "I can take care of myself, Jake. I appreciate that you are looking out for me, but I'm in great company." I looked over at Edward and to my excitement, he graced me with a small smile.

It was clear that Jake did not like my silent exchange with Edward. "Bells - one last chance. _Please._"

I ignored his plea. "Okay…well, I'll see you later."

It looked as though Jake was aware of my adherence to Edward so he chose to give up the fight - for now, at least.

"I'll be around if you need me," he advised, casting me a disapprovingly glance before moving towards Leah, wrapping his arm protectively around her shoulders.

My eyebrows furrowed. "Uh, thanks."

"I'll be seeing you," Jake grunted at Edward.

"I would not expect anything less," Edward answered, his tone even and in control.

Jake gave me one last look before escorting Leah past us, taking extra care to ensure that they didn't come too close. I gave them a small wave and I looked up at Edward, who followed them with his eyes as they moved through the crowd.

Placing his hand on my lower back, Edward's eyes wandered down to mine again. My body hummed with pleasure from his soft touch. The magnitude of our attraction was so strong that I had no doubt that he felt it too. It was undeniable and reflected clearly in his mysterious amber stare.

"That was strange and ….intense," I said. "Jake has never acted that way around me before."

Edward pursed his lips, pausing for a moment before answering. "He meant well, I suppose." he began, choosing his next words carefully. "But his hostility was uncalled for and the way he grabbed your arm was completely out of line. If he ever lays a hand on you again..." His stare darkened as he diverted his gaze.

I opened my mouth to protest - to ensure Edward that Jake wasn't usually this violent and he would never hurt me, but he spoke first, as if sensing what my next words were going to be.

"I can respect his desire to protect you," he corrected, his face softening. "I understand that more than he will ever know. He believes he is doing you a favor, but that is no longer his concern. You are safe with me, Isabella. Always."

Passion oozed from every syllable and my heart skipped a beat.

"It's true," I replied. "Jake is a good friend. He just gets carried away at times."

Even though Edward was ready to drop the matter, I was still going to speak to Jake later. He was being very rude and to me that was unacceptable.

Edward was being a complete gentleman while Jake was being an asshole. I couldn't believe it.

"How about we find Alice and Jasper?" Edward suggested, changing the subject, his lips in close proximity to my ear. My whole body shivered.

"Alright," I responded, feeling like my mouth was full of cotton. I was still trying to process all of the emotions that swept over me whenever I was near Edward - or whenever I thought about Edward - which was now basically every minute of the day. He had even took hold of my dreams for God's sake.

Briefly, I glanced over my shoulder toward the door, feeling some pains of sadness. I had made one of my best friends upset when he only wanted to look after me.

But I reminded myself that the way he went about it was wrong. And plus, I was too old to be babysat.

Refusing to let it get me down, I smiled at Edward, pushing my thoughts of Jake aside. As we moved across the living room toward the kitchen, I heard the front door slam behind me, indicating Jake and Leah's departure, and I breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that the rest of the night would do smoothly.

Then, out of nowhere, as if on cue, Alice and Jasper appeared, their eyes twinkling.

"Edward! Bella!" Alice greeted, her blonde brother hovering behind her like her protector, a scene which seemed to be common tonight "What are you-?" She halted in mid-sentence, sniffing the air.

Edward met her confused look.

"Does Mike own a dog?" she asked.

Her eyes swept to mine.

"Um, I'm not sure," I replied truthfully. "I don't think so..."

"Hmmm…" her voice trailed off.

Edward's eyes fixated on Alice's and her contemplative expression flickered as she met his stare. Her eyebrows knitted together before a smile graced her flawless face once again.

"Oh well, I guess I will find out later," she shrugged, glancing pointedly at Edward before turning to me. "Anyway, how's the party going?" she inquired with a knowing wink.

I blushed, diverting my gaze, reveling in the sparks dancing across from skin, created by Edward's smoldering amber eyes.

"I see," she giggled, glancing at Jasper over her shoulder. "Well, we'll leave you two alone then."

And with that they were gone.

I couldn't wait to spend some time getting to know Edward better but my plans were thwarted once again. As we entered the kitchen, we ran into Angela and Ben who greeted us with friendly smiles, a wonderful, refreshing contrast from Jake and Leah.

"Hey man, I'm Ben Cheney." He held out his hand toward Edward with a grin. "We saw what just happened." He nodded toward Angela. "Don't let Newton or Black intimidate you, they're all talk. Angela told me there was some new blood in town, so I thought I would introduce myself." Ben looked down at his hand which Edward had not yet taken a hold of. "Dude, don't leave me hanging," he chuckled. "I'm nothing like those guys, I swear."

Edward lips formed a tight line as though he was struggling with some internal debate. He looked down at Ben's offering and that's when it hit me.

Ah yes, the handshake aversion the Cullens seemed to have.

Maybe it was a germ-a-phobe thing?

Edward glanced at me and I smiled, encouraging him to accept Ben's offer. A small grin eclipsed his frown and he stepped forward, ever the gracious gentleman.

"I am sorry, Ben," he replied, extending his hand. "It is a pleasure. My name is Edward Cullen."

As they shook, Ben's eyes widened and he shuddered, his smile flickering.

Ben's reaction startled me but as I caught Angela's approving smile, my confusion dissipated. She was obviously impressed with Edward's manners, which caused me to beam proudly.

Edward let go quickly and cleared his throat, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. Ben lowered his hand and stared at it perplexedly for a moment before turning to his girlfriend's side.

"And I'm Angela," she announced with a small wave.

Edward grinned, shoving his free hand into the pocket of his dress pants, the other one gripping his jacket tightly. "You are in my Biology class too, right?"

He sounded so hypnotic and judging from Angela's expression, she wasn't immune to his charm either.

She blushed. "Yup, that's me."

"Well, it is lovely to meet you, Angela."

"It's great that you showed up tonight," she replied as Ben grabbed her hand, the four of us now in a friendly stand-off. "I'm sure that Bella was really relieved-"

"Angela!" I hissed, dragging my forefinger across my throat to tell her to cut it out.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "What I was _about_ to say before I was rudely interrupted was that Bella should be relieved that she's not the only person dressed from another time period tonight. Jessica and I helped pick out her costume. She's a 1940's cigarette girl." She scanned Edward's attire. "And it looks like you two match."

It was then that I realized she was right. We did match. What were the odds?

"Edward, your costume looks like Cary Grant mixed with Jimmy Stewart, yet your aura is pure Steve McQueen," she continued. "It's a very original outfit. I mean, look around. How many Britney Spears do you see? Or vampires? Lauren Mallory does Britney every year and I swear, if Mike Newton tries to suck my blood one more time, I'm going to scream. Vampires are so overdone, don't you think?"

"Yes, I definitely think that vampires are overrated," Edward smirked, his body so close to mine that if I shifted slightly to the left, I could touch him. The idea was tempting but I remained in my place so I wouldn't seem to clingy.

Edward's eyes shot in the direction of the living room and I followed him, discovering Alice giggling, her hand over her mouth as she looked at us in amusement. But with the music still blaring, there was no way she heard us so Jasper must have told her a joke or something.

We turned back to my friends, chatting for a bit longer, making small talk, and when it was determined that there wasn't much more to say, Angela took the initiative and granted Edward and I some privacy - well, as much privacy as we could have considering that we were in a house full of people.

"Alright, we will see you later," she yelled, pulling Ben toward the back deck.

I nodded and my stare was once again pulled in Edward's direction as he towered over me, scanning my face. We didn't say anything for a couple of minutes, we just watched each other, drinking each other in without shame.

I didn't know what possessed me to place my hand on his upper arm during our moment, but I did, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. His bicep muscle felt hard as a rock under my touch and I realized that he must work out a lot. A lot. Luckily, he didn't flinch or pull away this time.

He simply smiled at me as though I was the only one in the room - like Ben was looking at Angela earlier, except that this look was much more intense. It was like Edward was claiming me as his own, as though we'd known each other for years instead of just one day, and I had to admit, I loved it. All the butterflies in my stomach and the static electricity in my veins multiplied tenfold and I felt dizzy, but in an exhilarating way.

Not to mention the remarkable throbbing sensation between my legs which was now out of control.

Edward looked down at my hand and suddenly, I felt embarrassed by my bold action. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to grab your arm like that," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper.

"Please do not apologize," he assured. I was surprised that he'd even heard me over all the loud noise. But my shock was soon replaced by excitement as he leaned down, his lips grazing my ear, causing my mouth to part and a soft moan to escape my lips.

"Your touch is ...nice, Isabella," he murmured.

My ears ignited and the heat flowed down my cheeks to my exposed cleavage. Edward seemed to watch the color of my skin change as his gaze traveled down my body and he licked his bottom lip, teasing me. That one act prompted a distinct fuzzy feeling to explode in my stomach and I was sure that it wasn't just butterflies.

He just had to look at me and he turned me on to the point where it was as though he was physically touching me and bringing me to my release.

"Um, is it hot in here?" I stammered like an idiot.

Edward raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "I do not - I mean - I _don't_ think so…"

Of course it wasn't for him. Judging from the coldness of his skin in Bio, he probably never felt hot. Unlike Jake's skin which felt feverish.

"Uh, nevermind," I corrected, forcing a smile.

"Would you like a drink?" he inquired, his expression filled with concern.

"Sure. Water would be great," I managed to choke out.

His eyes swept the kitchen, landing on the refrigerator.

"Stay here," he instructed in a firm tone which made me giddy.

Before I could reply, he was gone, swallowed up by the crowd.

Faster than I expected, he returned, a glass of ice water in his grasp with a lemon hanging on the rim.

"Here," Edward offered it to me. "I tried to find a clean glass. I hope this one is to your liking."

I looked down at my drink with a smile before bringing the refreshing water to my lips. The liquid felt heavenly as it trickled down my throat and I moaned softly, feeling Edward's eyes burning into me, studying my every move as though I was the most interesting person on the planet.

I lowered my drink from my lips with a smile. "Thank you, this is delicious. Although, you could've given the water to me in the bottle that it came in," I giggled. "You didn't have to go through all the trouble of getting me a glass."

_With ice and a lemon_, I added to myself.

He shook his head determinedly. "Of course, I did," he stated as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

With his dedication, I was pretty sure that Edward had robbed some kids, taking tequila shots, of their lemon.

My smiled widened at the notion.

How sweet.

I held my drink, watching the condensation run down the outside of the glass, feeling positively joyous as my cheeks burned. The droplets fell down my hand and I caught one with my index finger, bringing it to my mouth, licking the liquid off of my skin.

Edward watched me hungrily, a smirk ghosting his lips as I took another sip. Clearing my throat, I lowered my glass, immersed in the amber specks of his dazzling irises which were focused solely on me, studying me as though he was trying to memorize every detail of my face.

"I received your note in my locker," he spoke, breaking me out of my trance. "I wanted to thank you for extending the invitation to me."

Inwardly, I was doing a little happy dance. My heart was pounding so hard, it felt like it might burst out of my chest, but I had to play it cool so I didn't scare him off.

I focused on his lips and their perfect suppleness, marveling at how beautiful he was. Amidst the awful music, odor of perspiration and alcohol, and the cursing of our peers, he managed to make this party absolutely wonderful.

"And thank you for inviting Alice as well," he added. "She loves this kind of thing."

Feeling more empowered, looking up at him through my upper eyelashes, I prodded. "Do _you_ love this kind of thing?"

My voice came out sounding like as a sensual purr and I smirked, tilting my head to the side flirtatiously.

_Hello sex kitten, where have you been all my life_.

I didn't know where that tone came from, but what I did know what that I loved this new side that Edward brought out in me. Finally, I was talking with Edward Cullen without stumbling through my words, and it felt amazing.

His upper lids lowered, his stare glossy as his eyes met mine. "No, I don't love this kind of thing," he clarified, his tongue grazing his lower lip. "But what I do love is getting to know you better. In all honesty, that is the only reason why I came here tonight."

I dared to speak the next words that entered my mind. "And if I didn't ask you…?" my voice trailed off, inviting him to complete my sentence.

He leaned in to me, his lips hovering dangerously close to mine, his fresh, intoxicating scent wafting into my lungs, his closer proximity driving me wild. "If you didn't ask me, I would have sought you out on my own. I'm afraid I cannot stay away from you, Isabella, even if I tried. Believe me."

His confession was staggering and my cheeks burned from the power he had over me, my resolve to remain calm trumped by his intricate web of charm and seduction which seemed to roll off of him so effortlessly.

"Oh..." I breathed.

I swallowed slowly, meeting his smoldering stare, taking my lower lip in between my teeth gently, reveling in the fact that if he lowered his head mere inches, our mouths would connect.

"How about you put your glass down, Isabella?" he suggested, his voice low and unbelievably sexy.

Before I knew what was happening, Edward removed my drink from my hand and placed it behind him on the countertop.

The crowd was getting thicker in the kitchen and people pushed past us, ruining our moment, frustrating me.

With his next words, it was as though Edward had read my mind. "I would love to escort you outside for some fresh air," Edward announced huskily in my ear, his proposition causing goosebumps to erupt on my skin. "It is a little too crowded in here for my taste."

All I could do was nod.

Placing his lower hand against my back, he led me toward the sliding glass door. He gestured for me to go first and when we stepped onto the deck, his eyes narrowed, a small frown playing upon his tempting lips. The cool breeze danced across my bare skin as I watched Edward survey the scene before us.

"It seems as though it is just as crowded out here on the deck as it is inside," he observed, studying the guys by the keg in the corner. His gaze shifted in front of him as he scanned the trees surrounding Mike's house.

"How about we go for a walk through the woods?" he suggested.

My heart skipped a beat.

_Just like my dream._

"There is a trail," he added. "Not to worry - I will keep you safe."

Normally, I wouldn't have _ever_ entertained the idea of venturing outside in the dark, especially into the woods, with a guy I'd just met - being a Police Chief's daughter had drilled that common sense into my brain over the last seventeen years - but with Edward, I felt protected.

I trusted him to take care of me and without giving it another thought, I turned to him. "I would like that," I gushed.

A dazzling grin swept across his face as he offered me his jacket. "Please take this," he insisted. "I do not want you to catch a chill."

I extended my arm, but instead of handing the coat to me, Edward placed his hand on my hip, turning me so my back was to him.

"Allow me," he murmured, his cold lips grazing the side of my neck. I closed my eyes, allowing the pleasurable, tingling sensation his touch brought forth from me to wash over my body, overwhelming every one of my senses.

He slipped the wool coat over my shoulders and I pulled it tightly around me, basking in its warmth.

His gesture was so simple but the entire exchange was so sexual and for a moment, I was breathless.

"Thank you," I stammered over my shoulder.

He leaned in once again, slowly, calculatedly, teasing me. "I will do anything for you, Isabella."

The sincerity in his words thrilled me. We'd just met, but without a doubt, I knew that his declaration was steadfast and true.

He stepped to my side, his bronze hair and pale skin shimmering, even in the dark. "Shall we?"

With a fervent blush, I nodded, my desire to be alone with him - finally - trampling over my rational mind. I didn't second guess my feelings, I just followed my heart.

As Edward placed his lower hand against my back again, guiding me carefully down the steps to the grass, across the lawn towards the trees, I looked up at the full moon hovering in the sky, which illuminated the woodland in a brilliant silver light, and I couldn't help but smile at my wonderful fortune.

I had a feeling that our walk was going to be absolutely magical - life-changing, with the promise of forever - and luckily for me, the night was still young

**I know some of you are thinking that Edward was kind of very sexual in this chapter when he was in such denial in privious chapters. Well, lets just say......it's hard being an 108 year old virgin! LOL!! **

**Also, keep in mind that the backstories with Jake and Jessica are important and have a point to this story. **

**Please also go read My Indentured Love by KatieTV! -it's turn of the century Plantation owner Edward and indentured servant Bella. Things are heating up, it's a great read. **

**And check out the new BFFF'ers website! www (.) bfffersoffanfic (.) com**

**ReachingAsIFall made a beautiful banner for EO, it's up in my profile and on the BFFFers site. Also she made a TW banner which is in my profile as well. **

**Next update is this weekend. **


	13. A Walk To Remember

**A/N Hello lovelies. **

**An update so soon? Yes, when it rains, it pours.**

**MissAlex and I co-authored this chapter **

Chapter Twelve: A Walk to Remember

_**Bella**_

As we entered the woods, my uncomfortable high heels sunk into the muddy terrain, but I didn't mind. It was worth it because Edward and I were finally able to spend time alone together. The dense trees surrounded us, concealing us from the world as we ventured deeper, the music from the party house fading into the background.

Edward studied me as though he were expecting me to have some sort of a mishap given my impractical footwear and my entire body throbbed in response to his protective, watchful stare.

Would he catch me if I fell?

The way he looked at me didn't help my situation. It only increased the likelihood of me stumbling – which wouldn't be so bad if I landed in his arms.

I turned my head away so Edward wouldn't see me roll my eyes at myself.

_Mind out of the gutter, Swan._

I took in a deep breath and exhaled quietly, shoving aside my inner swoon, before I turned back to him. He smiled and then studied the ground in front of him as we walked.

Instead of guiding me with his palm against my back like earlier, he jammed his hands into the pockets of his pants and I heard the distinct sound of jiggling car keys as we continued on our journey.

The sound of Edward's keys reminded me of my own and I fished them out of the hidden pocket of my costume and placed them in his jacket, figuring that they were much safer there. I was drowning in his large coat, but it felt extremely comfortable and it kept me very warm.

Expertly, Edward located the trail and we ambled along the pathway in silence. Oddly enough, even the forest creatures seemed to have vacated the premises so the forest was extra quiet. The wind blew gently and the whispers of the forest sounded so peaceful. It was a welcomed relief after experiencing the loud thumping of the music back at the party.

Even with the artificial light radiating from Mike Newton's house through the trees behind us and the natural silver glow from the full moon above, it was still very dark out and my eyes were still struggling to adjust. I had to squint to try and see properly meanwhile, Edward seemed calm and confident as always.

I looked down at my feet, feeling his alluring presence hovering beside me.

"So..." I began as I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye.

The corners of his mouth turned up in a smirk.

"So..." he repeated, sheer amusement gracing his striking features. Even in the dark, his pale, marble skin shone, rivaling the brilliance of the silver moon above.

My stomach rumbled and I cringed, hoping that Edward didn't notice. "I ate way too much food at that party. I'm stuffed," I giggled as I casually placed my hand over my abdomen.

He chuckled, and right away, the air seemed lighter. "Yes, I can hear that."

"You heard that? Wow, that's embarrassing…"

"You shouldn't feel embarrassed," he replied softly.

I blushed. "Thanks…and um, thank you for lending me your jacket. I hope you're not cold."

"You never need to worry about me, Isabella. I am more than fine," he replied, his feet sweeping across the forest floor gracefully, barely making a sound. "And regardless, it is only proper for a gentleman to offer his coat to a woman if she does not have one herself."

I lowered my gaze. "Well, I just figured you might be cold, considering..."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Considering what?"

"Today, in Biology, when I accidently brushed my arm against yours..."

Edward frowned.

"Uh... nevermind," I added quickly.

"I have always had poor circulation - for as long as I can remember," he explained quietly, keeping a respectable distance from me as we continued on our stroll, a far cry from how close he was back at the party.

"Oh, okay, that makes sense." I offered up a smile and thankfully, my gesture worked and he flashed me a dazzling grin in return.

"You talk and act so differently from any guy I've ever known," I mused, stopping in front of a large boulder that lined the trail. "Not many guys are so...polite."

He stepped toward me and my breathing grew erratic as I fell under the spell of his intoxicating stare. "Unfortunately, nowadays, many men do not know how to treat a female respectfully."

"I'm glad that I met you then," I flirted, inching my body closer to his, his opened jacket exposing the front of my costume.

_Welcome back, sex kitten._

"The feeling is mutual, Isabella," he murmured, his eyes sweeping hungrily down my body.

Tentatively, Edward reached his hand out and brushed a few stray hairs from my forehead. The strands tickled my skin and another blast of heat ignited in my veins. He studied his fingers as he toyed with my locks and then his gold eyes met mine, rendering me completely speechless.

"And I would much rather you wear my coat than anyone else's," he declared, his voice low.

Dropping his arm to his side, his gaze never wavered and I felt as though he was reading into my soul judging from the intensity in his eyes. No one had ever made me feel this way before, but instead of being afraid or overwhelmed, I felt empowered.

I breathed in his refreshing scent and a hint of a grin appeared on his full, red lips.

"Why are you smiling at me?" I giggled.

He shook his head, his grin widening. "I must be so careful with you, Isabella. I lose my head when I am around you and that can be a _very_ dangerous thing."

His sexual tone made my blush deepen.

"Oh, please," I waved him off as I took a seat on the nearby big rock, giving my poor feet a much needed break. "You've already proven that you're much sweeter than any of the guys I've ever known. So trust me - you have nothing to worry about."

As he sat beside me, he chuckled softly and my heart slipped a beat at its melodic sound. "That is what I love about you, Isabella - your innocence. I will do everything I can to preserve that in you forever."

_Love._

The word echoed in my mind and I found myself shimming closer to him.

Swoon. Swoon. Swoon.

Edward and I fell into a comfortable silence, glancing at one another with shy smiles as my legs dangled over the boulder, my feet hovering off the ground, while the soles of his shiny, black dress shoes were planted firmly in the earth.

I inhaled deeply, trying to calm my nerves as I sat next to the man of my dreams - literally. The smell of the pine trees and dry leaves was as potent as it often was after it rained, but nothing smelled as amazing as Edward's refreshing, clean scent.

I kicked my heels against the rock, unable to keep still.

"So what's your favorite holiday?" I asked, hoping to get the conversation rolling again.

"Halloween," he responded swiftly.

My eyes lit up. "Me too! I've loved it for as long as I can remember. There was this one costume I had when I was a kid - a lady bug - and I wore it every Halloween for four years."

Edward leaned in, visibly intrigued. I was glad that I found a topic we had in common so I kept going.

"What about you?" I asked. "What was your favorite Halloween costume from when you were a kid?"

He paused, staring off into the distance.

"I'm afraid I cannot recall," he said wistfully after a few moments, immersed in some distant memory that I assumed he did not feel like sharing.

I attempted to lighten the mood. "Hey, I got an idea."

His attention wandered back to me and his eyes flickered with interest.

"Since we're getting to know each other, how about we play _twenty questions_?" I proposed.

He chuckled. "I suppose the game is played exactly how it sounds?"

"You've never played it before?"

He shook his head.

"I can't believe that. Where did you grow up, Mars?" I joked. "Well, I'll teach you. I want to be your first."

As those last words spilled from my lips, I cringed.

_You idiot, Bella!_

Would praying to Frodo work for me now? Because I definitely needed some help.

Edward's tongue grazed his bottom lip as he looked me in amusement. "Okay, Isabella, you start and I will follow your lead, considering that this _is_ my first time."

In a desperate attempt to squash my embarrassment, I racked my brain for my first question.

"Now, just reply with the first thing that comes to mind, okay? Rapid fire answers only." I told him, snapping my fingers to emphasize my point. "You ready?"

"That is a terrible first question," he teased.

His mischievousness made me giggle. "Okay, okay, smarty pants. Very funny."

"Hey, you're supposed to be the pro here, not me," he chuckled.

"You're throwing me off my game," I complained with a playful pout. "I can't help it."

"Now that one wasn't even a question," Edward pointed out, trying to hold back a smirk.

I batted my eyelashes. "Are you sure you want me to go first?"

A sparkling grin erupted across his face. "I believe you just did - although I still find that a very weak first question if the point of this game is for us to get to know each other better."

I let out a frustrated sigh and he laughed. "Okay, Isabella, I'll go first - are you always this incorrigible?"

"Always, " I giggled. "Okay, my turn!" I tapped my forefinger against my chin and found the perfect question. "Where else have you lived besides Forks?"

He pursed his lips. "Many different places. Too many to name. The United States...Europe..."

"Care to elaborate even a little bit?" I pressed, cocking an eyebrow.

He shrugged.

"Alright, I'll amend my question." He looked relieved. "Where was your favorite place to live?"

He didn't miss a beat. "Forks."

I laughed. "Ha, that's funny! Come on, tell the truth."

His eyes burned into mine. "Considering that this town afforded me the opportunity to meet you, I would have to say that Forks is my final answer."

_Oh my._

I swallowed slowly. "Um...thank you." My reply came out sounding more like a question but Edward merely smiled.

"My turn," he stated, his hypnotic stare mesmerizing me.

I forced a nod.

"Are you seeing anyone?" he asked.

"You mean do I have a boyfriend?"

He nodded.

"No."

He looked surprised. "Really?"

"I should know, right?" I giggled.

His astonishment turned into confusion.

"Why, don't you believe me?" I asked.

"I do believe you, it is just that Alice said something to me today about you having guy troubles and-"

He stopped when he noticed my cheeks turning red from his admission.

_Of course Alice would tell him that. _

But the fact that it worried him got me excited.

I played coy. "No, guy troubles - not anymore, at least."

He nodded, seemingly satisfied.

"Your turn," he instructed.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" I asked shyly.

"No," he smirked.

"Good to know," I added. I tried to act nonchalant but his reply made me giddy and my heart was doing back flips in my chest.

His expression grew serious as he announced his next question. "Isabella, what are your plans for the future?"

"You mean College?"

"Where do you see yourself in ten years? Twenty? Sixty?"

My eyes widened. "Wow, that's definitely a loaded question."

"Indeed, it is..."

I shrugged. "Well, I haven't really thought that far ahead, but I did apply to the University of Seattle's creative writing program. I lived in that city all of my life up until this past August and since Forks doesn't have its own University - obviously - I figured if I have to go away to school, I might as well get my education in a city I'm familiar with - one I know that I like."

"Writing," he repeated softly.

I blushed. "I like to write. I've written some short stories and I've always done well in English in school. So I figured, why not see where it takes me? If I can't get a job after I graduate, I can always apply to the teaching program..."

Edward stared off into the woods. "That sounds like a well-thought out plan," he murmured. "Your turn…"

Closing my eyes tight, I went right into my next question - this one was just for fun. "Edward, what is the color of my eyes?"

Without hesitation, he answered and even without my sight, I knew that his eyes burned into me as he spoke. "Chestnut, if I had to name just one color. Although, that hardly does you justice. If you want my full reply...?" his voice trailed off.

Keeping my eyes closed, I nodded.

"There are specks of hazel scattered throughout your irises that bring out the natural highlights in your hair and accentuate your creamy skin tone," he continued. "And tonight, in particular, the red in your costume emphasizes the various brown facets, making them stand out even more - the tan color which reminds me of soft desert sand, the rich mahogany that rivals even the most flawless of woods, the Isabelline as seen on the most pristine Palominos, and lastly, the sweet caramel color that makes my mouth water more than you would find that a piece of chocolate does as it melts on your tongue."

_Oh. My. God._

Forget chocolate - it was Edward's sweet words that melted in my mouth - amongst other places.

Now that we were immersed in silence once again, I determined that Edward had shuffled closer to me. I felt his cold finger under my chin and I opened my eyes, meeting his half-lidded stare.

"I haven't told you how magnificent you look tonight, Isabella, and how honored I am to be out here with you. You captivated me from the moment I entered that house. I thought you were a bewitching sight to behold in Biology, but tonight, you seemed to have eclipsed even your own beauty."

My mouth fell open. His words sounded like poetry, his velvety voice burrowing deep into my bones, taking my breath away.

"Wow," I stammered. "I would have been happy with just brown."

"Brown is much too plain a color to describe your eyes - or your hair," he declared unabashedly. "In all honesty, you are worthy of a much better description than the one I provided, but the proper words seem to fail me whenever I am in your presence."

If, in Edward's opinion, his description fell short, I couldn't even imagine how stunned I would feel if he ever _could_ find the right words to reflect his true thoughts more appropriately.

I struggled to find my voice. "Um, you did alright…"

_More than alright,_ I added to myself.

"My turn," Edward murmured.

I realized that I was still gawking and I quickly shut my mouth. "Right, uh, sorry," I stuttered. "Okay, shoot."

I bit my lip, awaiting his next question.

The wind picked up and the scent of pine floated heavily in the air and I shifted in my seat, looking to the forest floor. I suddenly felt insecure - Edward seemed so cultured, so eloquent with his words and I felt that I fell short.

"You're uncomfortable," Edward stated. It wasn't a question.

I fanned out his coat on either side of me and shook my head. "I promise I'm not. It's just that no one has ever spoken to me that way before and well, it's very...nice."

He visibly relaxed. "Please get used to it, Isabella. I will always speak to you with the utmost respect and compliment you every chance I get."

I smiled.

It was then that he grazed the back of his cold hand against my cheek. I jumped slightly, his welcomed touch taking me by surprise.

"Isabella?" he spoke, his voice piercing the stillness of the night.

I cleared my throat softly and my eyelids fluttered as I marveled at the feeling of his knuckles tracing down the side of my face. "Yes?"

"Do you believe in fate?"

My eyes snapped open and I turned my head in his direction, my abrupt action causing his hand to drop from my face and his eyebrows to furrow.

Immediately, I thought about my experience with the nice woman in the hospital chapel when my father was sick. She spoke of having faith in myself and others, reminding me to trust whatever was handed to me in life.

As I studied the needles of the pines around us, rustling in the breeze, I focused my other senses on the presence of the guy beside me.

Was there a reason that Edward walked into my Biology class today? A reason why I felt so compelled to leave that note in his locker inviting him to the party tonight? A reason why I desperately wanted to feel his lips on mine right now and trusted him whole-heartedly to take care of me even though we'd only just met?

If it was fate that made all of that happen, then yes, I believed in it completely. I believed that there was something bigger than us in this universe, guiding us - it was the most irrational explanation to many, but the most plausible one to me.

I looked Edward directly in the eye. "Yes, I do believe in fate. I would be crazy not to - especially after today."

Edward didn't reply. After a few moments of staring, he shifted closer to me.

Much to my delight, he lifted his hand and dragged his finger down my cheek to my neck. Then, unexpectedly, he pressed his cold, firm palm flat against my chest over my heart, just above where the fabric of my costume stopped, his remarkable touch causing me to gasp.

The close proximity of his hand to my breasts drove me wild but he remained a complete gentleman and he never strayed any lower. Although if it did, I knew without a doubt that I wouldn't stop him.

My inner sex kitten would claw my eyes out if I did that.

"You want me, don't you?" he inquired softly. The heat behind his words was unmistakable.

Closing my eyes, I took my lower lip in between my teeth and managed a nod, my chest vibrating under his touch.

His lips grazed my ear and I whimpered. "I feel your fluttering heart beneath my hand, Bella," he murmured. "And I see the blood rush to your cheeks when you look at me. It is very...endearing."

I swooned. _Again._

I opened my eyes and swallowed slowly, my lips parted ever so slightly as my chest heaved, Edward's hand moving up and down with every labored breath I took.

My heart struggled to break free from the confines of my rib cage and again, a smirk graced Edward's lips. He pulled back, placing his hands on his thighs.

"So..." I teased, my tell-tale blush Edward found so, in his words - _endearing -_ displayed proudly across my cheeks.

I didn't know what to do with my hands so I placed them on the boulder on either side of me and leaned forward. It was then I realized that the top of my cleavage was on full display, and Edward's eyes were fixated on my chest.

His tongue grazed his lower lip and although it was completely out of character for me, I didn't shift or bother to conceal myself.

_Purr._

My heels clicked together as I relished in the fact that Edward seemed to find me so attractive. He wasn't like other guys. Although he was blatantly staring, I didn't take him for a Mike Newton type. The way he looked at me made me feel as though I was special - like that gaze was reserved for me, and me, only.

As his eyes switched focus, I glanced down the trail in the direction we'd come from, thinking about what to say next.

"Edward, can I ask you something else?"

He cleared his throat. "Of course - that's the purpose of the game."

I shook my head. "No. No more games. This one is off the record, so to speak."

His lips barely moved as he spoke. "Go ahead."

"Why me?"

His eyebrows furrowed.

"Why not any of the other girls at school?" I clarified. "There are so many girls in town that have been eyeing you since you arrived. You could have any one of them so I'm just confused as to why I'm here with you and they aren't."

He looked at me as though I was insane. "You are extremely beautiful, smart, and funny, Isabella. I cannot believe you don't see that."

"I'm just average," I insisted with a shrug.

His body stiffened. "Absolutely not."

I looked at him warily.

"Is it that unbelievable to you that I would want to have you in my company more than any other female?"

"Well, yes, it is," I admitted.

Edward frowned. "Well, I will do everything in my power to ensure that you realize just how special you are." He paused and his eyes found mine. "To me," he added quietly.

I shifted in my seat and his frown deepened. "Do you wish that you hadn't come out here with me?" he asked.

My eyes widened. "No, not at all!"

A smile ghosted his lips. "Good."

Edward Cullen actually thought that I was beautiful, which surprised me considering that I paled in comparison to him. Although it seemed unbelievable, something in his tone told me to trust him.

"I really, really wanted you to come tonight," I confessed as I looked to my feet.

He didn't respond.

"This is embarrassing," I laughed. "I'll shut up now."

He turned to face me and I lifted my gaze to meet his.

"Why are you embarrassed?" he questioned.

His stare was like truth serum. "Because...I like you," I admitted. "And you didn't respond so I assumed..."

"Let's not assuming anything anymore, alright?"

I nodded and his breathtaking grin caused my face to light up again.

The breeze picked up, catching my hair, sending it swirling around my face and I shivered.

"I need to get you inside," he stated firmly.

I panicked and caught his concerned stare. "No, I don't want to leave."

"You're cold, Isabella."

"I'm fine," I argued.

"Your teeth are seconds away from chattering in your mouth, so please do not lie to me. My coat is not heavy enough to keep you warm." He looked down at his hands. "I wish I could warm you up myself but..." his voice trailed off and he seemed forlorn.

I shook my head. "I would rather stay out here, regardless of the weather. I know if I go back to the party, Jake will be there waiting for me." I lowered my gaze. "And I don't want to be found yet."

Edward sighed. "Isabella, Jacob will find you regardless."

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. "I don't want to talk about Jake right now."

"Neither do I."

We exchanged smiles.

"Good, then we're in agreement," I chuckled. "We're staying."

"You're a stubborn girl, Isabella."

"Bella," I corrected.

For the first time since I met him, he looked embarrassed. "I apologize. I did not know that you preferred to called Bella. Although I should have assumed as much, considering that is what your friends called you back at the party."

"My mother is the only person that calls me Isabella and that's only when I'm in trouble," I explained sheepishly.

He nodded. "Then the matter is settled. I will call you Bella too."

"I hope you're not offended."

"I will always do your bidding, Bella."

His declaration made my cheeks burn, even though the rest of my skin felt cold.

I exhaled a shaky breath, my bones rattling from the harsh fall elements. "Maybe if I walk, I'll warm up?" I suggested.

He stood up and held out his hand, assisting me to my feet. A chill crept up my arm because he felt so cold but I refused to let him see me shake for fear of him insisting that we head back to Mike's place. So I focused on my warm heart instead, which burned in my chest from Edward's soft stare.

Unfortunately, once we began walking, Edward jammed his hands into the pockets of his pants, the familiar sound of his car keys jiggling in his grasp under the fabric again.

I tried not to let my disappointment show.

We strolled along the pathway, immersed in darkness, the forest completely still as though we were the only signs of life around.

"Edward, what type of girl do you like?" I asked, hoping to get our conversation flowing again.

He stopped walking as we reached a clearing in the forest. The large moon hovered above the vast meadow, making it look so inviting, and Edward pivoted, towering over me. I gasped at the magnificence of his eyes.

"You," he answered quietly. "You are everything to me."

"But how can that be?"

His expression grew serious again. "Bella, you never asked me if I believed in fate."

I took my lower lip in between my teeth. "Edward, do you believe in fate?"

"Absolutely. More so than I ever thought imaginable," he replied, his voice a sensual murmur. "How can I not when I'm looking right at her?"

Butterflies fluttered about in my stomach and I no longer felt cold as his wonderful words danced on the wind around us.

He freed one hand from the confines of his pocket and brushed his knuckles along my jaw line. "Your skin is so soft....warm," he mused, dragging his hand lower. His fingertips brushed along my collarbone and my heartbeat accelerated rapidly as my eyelids fluttered closed.

"Bella, you make me so very happy..."

Edward continued his exploration of my face and even though his touch felt like ice, he set my skin ablaze. The contrast between the two felt incredible.

I opened my eyes and he dropped his hand quickly. "I apologize, I just can't get enough," he whispered, his eyes searching mine.

"Can I....?" I asked, lifting my hand to his face.

His jaw tensed before he nodded yes.

I brushed my hand over his temple and traveled along his left cheek bone, over the bridge of his nose to his right one, memorizing the contours of his exquisite face. His skin felt cold as I expected it would, but I wasn't expecting it to feel so hard, like stone.

His gaze softened as I swept my hand down his right cheek. "Bella, no one has ever..." His voice trailed off and he shook his head, choosing to remain silent.

Unexpectedly, his eyelids fluttered closed and his jaw clenched as I passed along its chiseled structure. The crease in his brow grew more prominent than ever and I wondered if he was feeling uncomfortable.

I began to pull away when Edward's eyes shot open and he grabbed my wrist gently, his icy cold fingers tickling my skin.

"Don't stop," he begged, his voice surprisingly weak. "I waited so long to feel this. Just a little longer, please..."

"I'm sorry. It's just that you seemed uneasy-"

"Quite the opposite," he corrected. "I was trying to hold myself back because your touch feels so remarkable."

"You don't have to hold back," I assured.

"You do not know how tempting you are to me, Bella. In more ways than one. Quite frankly, this entire evening has surprised me."

I brushed my knuckles against his cheek and he stilled.

"Fate isn't something you plan," I reminded him. "It just is."

He squeezed his eyes shut as though he was fighting some inner debate and I continued my examination of his face. I ran my hand along his forehead and back down his cheek toward his mouth.

When my fingertips grazed his lips, he winced, a low hiss echoing in his throat, and he took an unexpected step back, his body stiff.

I dropped my hand to my side.

"Thank you, Bella," he responded. "That was far more wonderful than I ever deserved."

As we stood in silence on the perimeter of the clearing, Edward's face became unreadable. Shadows swayed across his sharp features, accentuating his high cheek bones, chiseled jaw line and brilliant gold eyes as he ran his hand through his hair.

His eyes swept across the meadow and his expression turned pensive as though he were lost in some distant memory. He never failed to amaze me with his masculine grace and as I granted him his moment of silence, I watched him in awe, still unable to grasp that we were here – together - alone.

I guess praying to Frodo did work, after all…

Twigs crunched beneath Edward's feet as he shifted his weight and he snapped out of his trance. My lips parted and my heart beat unsteadily as I studied him carefully, awaiting his next move.

My breath caught in my throat as he stepped toward me like a jungle cat on the prowl, his smoldering eyes rendering me complete at his mercy. While my breathing accelerated, my chest visibly rising and falling with every rush of air in and out of my lungs, Edward stood still - completely still - portraying a calmness that baffled me as he looked at me, his gaze unwavering.

I felt so exhilarated in his presence that I was lucky if I even remembered my own name, meanwhile he looked the exact opposite. I knew he liked me, that much was clear, but it pained me to consider that perhaps he did not feel as strongly about me as I did about him. Refusing to ruin the moment, I forced myself to refocus my thoughts away from any negativity and I offered up a smile.

The light from the moon shone behind his head, creating a silver glow that radiated outwards from his hair and marble skin as he towered over me. His bronze wind-ravaged locks dazzled against this beautiful backdrop and his stunning amber eyes pierced the darkness, putting me into some sort of a trance. He looked absolutely gorgeous.

"Do you understand what you do to me, Bella? The power you have over me with just one look or stunning smile in my direction?" he murmured, his amber eyes searching mine.

I was shocked. And here I thought that I was the only powerless one here, but I had as much effect on Edward as he did on me. His confession made my smile widen.

Edward's fingertips ghosted the side of my face, his palm barely cradling my cheek as though he felt that anything more than the most delicate of touches would hurt me, and I closed my eyes, reveling in his tenderness.

Slowly, he moved his hand to my mouth, tracing my lips with his thumb. His ice cold touch electrified me. Opening my eyes with a soft sigh, I studied his smooth, red lips, desperate for a kiss, even though my inexperience caused me to doubt my ability to make him feel as wonderful physically as he did for me.

Courageously, I closed the small gap between us and swallowed slowly, my heart pounding so frantically in my chest that I was sure Edward could hear its rapid beat. My body throbbed in anticipation of his lips on mine. I raised my gaze to meet his and parted my lips slightly, tilting my head to the side.

Waiting.

It felt as though my heart would explode from my chest with each passing moment that he didn't make a move.

He studied my glossy stare and I silently willed him to lean in closer. His head dipped lower, his lips hovering dangerously close to mine.

"Do you want me to kiss you, Bella?" he asked, his voice husky. "If you say yes, I need you to know that I will never be able to let you go. You will be sealing your fate."

My body trembled as I looked up at him with wide eyes. "I don't want you to let me go. Ever."

His mouth formed a tight line as I struggled for breath, his closeness taunting me, pushing me past all of my emotional and physical limits to the point where all that mattered was that I needed to find a way to be in his arms. I'd never felt anything like this in my entire life. It was insane yet it felt so natural at the same time.

"You don't know what you're saying," he murmured, his voice sounding so soft that if I didn't know any better, I would've thought he was talking to himself.

My pulse and breathing may have spiraled out of my control but my mind had never been so clear.

"Kiss me," I commanded. My tone was strong but barely more than a whisper.

Edward leaned in slowly, his eyes searching mine for additional confirmation that it was alright. I parted my lips slightly and closed my eyes, willingly him to continue as my heart pounded against my ribcage.

With a low moan, he cupped my cheek with his palm and captured my lips with his, sensually, tenderly. Lovingly. My eyelids fluttered as I melted into him, the nervousness in my gut replaced by a welcomed fuzzy feeling that rattled my core.

Our kiss felt so spectacular that I had to grip onto Edward's vest in order to remain upright for my knees now felt like jelly. His stance never faltered as he accepted the brunt of my weight, steadying me.

His firm lips felt cold - ice cold – as was his hand against my face, but as always, instead of causing me to shiver, a blast of heat ignited on my flesh under his touch and all I could think about was that I needed more.

So much more.

His mouth brushed softly against mine as he took his time taking me in. His pace was slow and I followed his lead, moaning softly with every gentle nibble and tug and reveling in every calculated, rhythmic kiss.

We continued, soft and unhurriedly, and I found myself responding more intensely with each passing second. But I noticed that no matter what I did, Edward didn't change his pace. Sensing his reluctance, I opened my eyes and saw that his face was tight and his eyebrows were furrowed as though he was thinking too hard or in pain.

"Take me, Edward," I begged, my arms hanging limply by my sides, my fingers twitching as I barred them from touching him for fear of doing something wrong. "Don't hold back."

"I don't…I don't want to hurt you," he confessed against my lips, his hand moving from my face into my curls, his fingertips grazing my scalp, causing goosebumps to erupt down my back.

"You can never hurt me," I replied, panting, as he showered me with kisses. "Edward, I need you."

The sensual moan that emanated from his chest in response to my words reverberated deep in my heart, our physical connection paling in comparison to the emotional one that bound our souls, and when he didn't intensify our kiss on his own, I took charge, proving to him that I was his and that he could do to me as he pleased and never harm me.

My concerns over my inexperience dissipated and I let my heart guide my next move.

Releasing my grip on his vest, I threaded my hands into his hair, his soft bronze locks caressing my fingers as I pulled him in closer, opening my mouth wider, deepening our kiss. He seemed taken aback, my swift action catching him off guard, but his hesitancy quickly subsided and our kiss increased in urgency as he followed my lead. Our lips moved together languidly, fueled by longing and desperation as though we'd waited for this our entire lives.

My entire body throbbed for him as my hand slinked down his back, the silk of his vest feeling smooth against my fingertips under my gentle strokes. With my other hand, I tightened my grip on his hair, our lips tangling together in an amorous display of yearning which sent my senses into a frenzy.

Our mouths moved faster, when suddenly he broke the kiss and leaned in to the side of my head. "You taste divine," he whispered in my ear, his one hand gripping my hair, the other resting on my hip.

His mouth covered mine again and I took his bottom lip into my mouth, sucking on it gently. I felt his body shudder as he moaned in response to my bold move and I knew he liked it. The vibrations from his mouth made my entire body quiver as I removed my hand from his hair and gripped his strong shoulder, my other palm pressed to his firm chest.

I felt my eyes roll back into my head and I closed them once again.

"Bella, you make me so weak," he professed, his lips traveling along my jaw line toward the column of my throat. "So very weak…"

His words were my complete undoing. With a gasp that echoed throughout the stillness of the forest, I tilted my head back, exposed my neck to him, allowing him access to do with me as he wished.

Leaving one hand in my hair and the other in between my shoulder blades, he leaned in and softly brushed his lips along my throat. His lips felt glorious as they trailed down my skin toward my collarbone. He parted his coat, revealing my costume – or lack thereof - and every hair on my body stood on end.

"You are so beautiful, Bella," he declared, his mouth leaving a remarkable tingling sensation in its wake as he ventured towards my exposed cleavage. "Anything you want from me, it is yours. Anything."

"Oh, Edward," I gasped, my fingernails digging into his firm shoulder muscles.

The soft breeze felt refreshing and I welcomed its dance around us as his teeth grazed my skin, causing my craving for him to spin out of control. I did the only thing that came to mind.

I begged for more.

"Don't stop," I cried.

As the words spilled from his lips, he stiffened and pulled back, slipping out of my grasp, his absence leaving me with a crushing feeling in my chest.

"No!" Edward growled as his tall frame swept across the forest floor, his hands curled into fists. Every movement was as graceful as a lion, but his muscles were tense as he raked his hand through his hair, deep in thought.

"What's wrong? What did I do?" I asked, as I struggled to catch my breath, the distance Edward put between us painfully tugging at my heart.

"I want to, but I can't. I _can't_," he cursed himself, his face contorted as though he was in agony.

"Edward, talk to me!" I demanded.

He stopped pacing and stared at me, his piercing golden eyes searching mine as though he were trying to find answers - to what questions, I did not know.

"Don't think," I begged, driving my fingers into my curls, pulling them from root to tip, wishing it was Edward's hand instead.

He did not move but from the hypnotic way he looked at me, I knew that I definitely had his attention.

"You asked me if I believed in fate and I told you that I do," I continued, hoping to calm whatever apprehension he had. "Standing here before you now, I know without a doubt that we belong together. I've never been so sure of anything in my entire life. Maybe I'm crazy since we only just met, but Edward, I'm yours. I always have been."

"Those words of yours are much more powerful than you presume, Isabella," he replied, his voice sullen.

"No," I argued. "I _do_ understand what they mean. I'm offering myself to you because you're what I've been waiting for. You're my soulmate-"

"I cannot be your soulmate, Bella," he corrected, his jaw clenched. "It is impossible given my...circumstances."

His comment was strange but I didn't back down and the rest of what I had to say spilled from my heart without censorship.

"Fine. You're my destiny then," I replied, folding my arms across my chest and squaring my shoulders. "I don't care what term you use. All I'm saying is please don't distance yourself from me. It's too late for that now. You asked me out here with you, knowing full well what it would lead to. If you weren't ready for that then you should've left me back at the house with Jake and Leah when you had the chance."

He grimaced. He knew I was right.

Pulling his coat tighter around my body, I paused to catch my breath. "Edward, I don't know about you, but for me, there's no turning back now. I can no longer live without you."

As I finished, I couldn't believe that I'd been so open with him. My confession sounded like the ramblings of a crazy person, but for some reason, I knew that Edward wouldn't run away.

I was sure of this because in my heart I knew that he felt it too. It was something I couldn't explain. It just was.

His expression flickered with shock in response to my declaration but then a primal hunger laced his eyes, darkening his expression as his mouth slowly opened, his upper lip curling ever so slightly away from his teeth, causing my body to flush with desire. This new way he looked at me almost brought me to my knees and my heart sped up, awaiting his next move.

"This is extremely dangerous and very wrong, Bella," he warned, his ominous voice carrying on the wind as we remained locked in our stand-off

"You know just as well as I do that nothing can ever be wrong when it comes to us," I challenged, the sparks flowing between us pulling us together like metal to a magnet.

His slow prowl towards me heightened the throbbing throughout my body, then to my delight, he advanced quickly, closing the rest of the gap, his perfect form nothing but a blur as he seized me in his embrace, backed me up into a pine tree, his lips finding mine once again.

As he pressed me softly into the uneven tree bark, he let go even more than before. Our kiss was deeper and more fervent, driven by our rabid need for each other, as his palms swept the curves of my body over his jacket and my hands fisted his hair.

I felt dizzy and breathless but it was such a thrilling experience, especially since I knew Edward would never let me fall. Everything around us seemed to be in a haze as I tugged at his wild locks with a desperation I'd never felt before.

His guided our kiss, taking complete control and I marveled in the feeling of his strong, cold body so close to mine, protecting me from the unforgiving autumn wind that had now picked up its pace.

"You own me, Bella. You always have," he hissed against my lips, causing my excitement to spike.

Tugging at his clothing, bringing him closer to me, I buckled by hips towards him, eliciting a louder hiss from his lips that blasted throughout the woods, fueling my arousal. It felt so good with his body pressed against mine, the tree behind me preventing me from moving anywhere else but into him.

Just when I thought our kiss couldn't get any more pleasurable, he groaned and I felt his icy, firm tongue slip slowly into my mouth. I whimpered in response and my eyelids fluttered open for just a brief moment, catching a glimpse of the angelic guy who held me carefully in his arms as though I was the most precious thing in the world to him.

My grip moved from his hair to his muscular back as I followed his lead and allowed my tongue to slip into his mouth. My reaction made him intensify our kiss and moan softly as our mouths opened wider to take each other in as much as possible. Our tongues twirled together and his sweet taste invaded my mouth, intoxicating me.

As I melted into his arms, I submitted myself to him, allowing my dream to become my reality. Our reality. He unraveled me with every soft touch, sensual kiss, low moan and amorous whisper.

Everything was perfect, when suddenly Edward went absolutely rigid and tore his lips from mine. Without warning, something slammed into my body, knocking the wind out of me, the severe impact hurling me away from him. I soared through the air as the now icy-cold wind whipped around me.

My vision was blurry because I was moving so fast, and then abruptly, I was no longer flying and I was being held up in mid-air, my toes dangling mere inches from the ground.

My mind spun as I tried to comprehend what had just happened. The only thing that I knew for certain was that the person holding me up was not definitely Edward.

I knew this because the icy hand gripping my neck, cutting off my air supply, caused a vicious shudder to seize my body, so unlike the sensation Edward's touch brought forth from me. My blood turned cold as I gasped for breath and a chill crept up my spin.

In front of me, through the haze encompassing my mind, I saw the figure of a dark-skinned man and a fuzzy image of Edward, with his wild bronze hair, hovering behind him in the background.

The next events unraveled in mere seconds.

I tried to cry out but my words were trapped in my throat as I was choked. In desperation, I scratched and clawed at the arm in vain, trying to break free. My fingernails bent and broke against the granite skin of my captor as terror washed over me and I grew immeasurably dizzier.

"Ma Chérie …" A menacing voice drifted in the air around me and my panic increased.

As I slowly succumbed to the blackness that attacked my brain, the scene before me shifted into focus and my eyes widened at what I saw.

The man who gripped my neck had hair that was long, black and dreaded. His skin was the color of night as it gleamed under the moon, and if not for the sinister way in which he stared at me, his face would have looked exquisite.

But that wasn't what frightened me the most, for when I blinked again, I witnessed something much more terrifying.

Red eyes.

He had blood red eyes.

My captor growled and bared his teeth, and with a shove, I was released, barreling toward the ground so quickly that I couldn't break my fall, my limbs numb, unwilling to do my bidding.

"Help me, Edward," I croaked as I traveled toward the forest floor, succumbing to my fate.

In my free fall, I spotted Edward, a vicious expression marring his usually beautiful face, and then he was gone, running toward me so quickly that he disappeared. But the man in the red eyes was quick to interfere and although I could not make out their collision, I heard it, a low rumbling blasting throughout the clearing, causing me to shiver as sounds echoed around me that did not sound human.

A loud howling echoed throughout the vast, barren land and then a massive, fury figure lunged from the trees in my direction. My terror increased tenfold as I realized what it was.

A wolf.

My first thought was deep concern over Edward's safety.

_If anything ever happened to him…_

As the violent scene unrolled before me, a feeling of dread hit me like a battering ram at the thought of losing him after all we had just shared.

I opened my mouth and sucked in as much air as I could. But before I could scream, my head collided painfully with the damp earth.

And then everything went black.


	14. Au Revoir

**A/N Hello lovelies! **

**Thank you so much for everyone who came out of the shadows like Laurent and reviewed! We had the largest number of reviews so far and you horny hussys, it was only a kiss! LOL! It was pretty damn hot if you ask me, but you know...I'm biased. Alex and I are so flattered and overjoyed that so many of you enjoy this little story of ours. **

**Twilight isn't ours, but giving all vampires special powers is!**

Chapter Thirteen: Au Revoir

_**Edward**_

Isabella's wide, frightened eyes bore into mine through the night as she made her decent toward the damp ground. It all happened so quickly. And as a vampire, that meant _very_ fast. One moment I was kissing her in the most remarkable, pleasurable experience of my entire existence, bombarded by the overwhelming desire to sink my teeth into her skin, her pulsating carotid artery taunting me, begging me to taste the blood that flowed within, and then the next moment she was in the death grasp of a Rogue vampire and a wolf had emerged from the woods, reeking like that annoying Jacob from the party.

That part of the scenario did not surprise me. I knew he was a werewolf as soon as he walked into the house, even though I was unable to read this thoughts. The girl on his arm was also a dog, which was interesting because I had never heard of a female going through the transition before, and it took all of my might not to show my disgust in front of Isabella. I had no idea she was - _friends_ - with werewolves and clearly, neither did she. The danger that truth put her in was unnerving, although as a vampire, I supposed that those mutts would think the same about me.

The Rogue sent Isabella soaring through the air and just as I made a move to catch her, he grabbed her by the throat. I watched the horrific scene unravel before me and I was forced to wait because as long as his hand was on her, my interference could possibly do more harm than good, and the risk was much too great.

Adding to my bewilderment, when the Rogue caught my gaze, he tossed Isabella aside, without seriously harming her, even though it would be been effortless for him to do so. In fact, it took _more_ care for a vampire _not _to harm a human, so his action did not make sense. I darted toward her to prevent her from falling further but the vampire attacked me in mid-pursuit, slamming me off course, sending the two of us flying a few hundred feet through the air.

Amongst all of the commotion and the ferocious noises emitted by the Rogue and myself during our struggle, Isabella's rapid heartbeat burrowed into my brain like a jackhammer, intermittently with that of the wolf's, and I heard her head create a sickening thud as it hit the dirt, seconds after my name choked from her trembling lips, tearing through my chest where my heart used to beat all those decades ago. Upon contact, her respirations evened out and I knew she was unconscious.

Once the Rogue and I landed at the perimeter of the forest, the wolf approached and with a loud growl, he lunged, his impact sliding us along the ground in a tangled mess of ice-cold, stone limbs and damp, matted, dog fur. The grass was slick and muddy, not an ideal environment for a brawl, but even amongst the slippery elements, I was able to maintain the upper hand. The Rogue's thoughts invaded my mind loud and clear – annoyingly so.

_Allons enfants de la Patrie,_

_Le jour de gloire est arrivé !_

_Contre nous de la tyrannie,_

_L'étendard sanglant est levé,_

I had spent many years in Paris and was well acquainted with the French language and culture. Why he was singing the French National Anthem was beyond me. And the jovial way in which he recited the lyrics perplexed me. Was this all a game to him? Had Isabella almost been a casualty in a random attack used to simply amuse the vampire?

I attempted to block his thoughts so I would not get sidetracked, but amongst the chaos, it was difficult. In my moment of digression, he unexpectedly sunk his teeth into my wrist, piercing my skin, tearing my flesh from the bone. I snarled and flipped him onto his back, bracing myself on top of him so he could not escape.

Jacob's animal form was extremely hot, his warmth radiating to me even though we were not touching, creating an added distraction which I did not need. As he ripped at the Rogue's clothing, shaking him like a rag doll beneath me, I struggled to push him out of the way. This was not his fight. It was I who had to avenge Isabella.

But he was persistent and sank his teeth into the Rogue's leg as I held my hand to the vampire's throat, pinning him down to the ground. Isabella's attacker sneered and attempted to break free of my grasp but to no avail. My strength was much too great.

_Entendez-vous dans les campagnes_

_Mugir ces féroces soldats?_

_Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras_

_Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes!_

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts again as he continued reciting the anthem silently. It did not help that the Rogue's internal singing voice left a lot to be desired and that Jacob was cursing a blue streak in his mind all the while stinking to high Heaven.

The wolf let go and then sank his fangs into the Rogue again, causing him to cry out in pain. Although the vampire's response was satisfying, I wished that I was at the helm of his agony, not Jacob. The Rogue reached down and grabbed onto a chunk of the wolf's fur and hurled him through the air. The animal whimpered as he hit the ground but recovered quickly and returned to my side, choosing instead to bite at the Rogue's ankles this time.

I had to give Jacob credit. He was stupidly stubborn.

The Rogue's tangled, long black hair covered his face and I yanked it out of the way, wanting to look him in the eyes when I killed him. I had not felt this urge in so long but tonight I had no doubt in my mind that I would bring him to his end. He attacked Isabella and had to pay the ultimate price. No other punishment would do his crime justice.

He looked up at me with a hungry, piercing red stare that glowed through the darkness, aware that he was going to lose, yet completely unafraid. To my surprise, he chuckled loudly, his upper lip curling up over his teeth.

"As-tu du plaisir?" he hissed with a smirk, his expression evil and unrelenting.

Was I having fun? I could not believe that he had the gall to ask me that. How dare he treat Isabella's life with such disregard!

"Qui êtes-vous?! Quel est votre nom?!" I demanded as I slammed him into the dirt, the impact causing thick cracks to radiate along the ground on either side of his head.

The words came out in a voice I hardly recognized as my own, full of venom and deadly warning. The need for vengeance seethed through me like acid.

He did nothing but laugh, his cackling voice resounding throughout the forest, burrowing into my skull.

I continued my line of questioning, the words spilling from my lips in a ferocious snarl as I brought my face down to his, separating us by mere inches.

"Que voulez-vous?! Que faites-vous ici?!"

An image of him sinking his teeth into Isabella's neck invaded my mind from his and it escalated my rage, making me shake violently. Without hesitation, I sank my teeth into his exposed neck, injecting my venom.

It would only take seconds for my poison to initiate the process of his demise - a way of death that no other vampire could provide except me, a discovery that Carlisle had researched in the laboratory and kept so carefully hidden since after the incident with Alice over thirty years ago because of the interest my abnormality would trigger with the Volturi.

Although I could change a human into one of my kind without incident, my venom was laced with the capability to attack the active venomous cells of other vampires, leaving them with no chance of survival.

I looked deep into the Rogue's eyes, waiting for his reaction, mercilessly eager to watch the results of my malice. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open, foam spilling from his lips as he aspirated on his venom. Judging from his tortured expression, he was undoubtedly feeling his insides vaporizing. Fueling my impatience and fury, he flashed one last image of Isabella, cradled in the arms of a figure - a man with no distinguishing features - her body limp, her skin terribly pale.

She was dead.

Appalled by his vision, a vicious growl emanated from my chest and I tore his head from his body. He convulsed, his face chillingly distorted upon separation, and his skin shriveled up before he disintegrated into ash beneath me and the strong scent of pine permeated my surroundings.

I kneeled amongst the debris, my skin and clothes covered with soot as it stirred up around me from the vicious wind, stunned at what had transpired even though it had been premeditated. It had been several decades since I had killed another vampire, my first, and this second time, as before, I felt no remorse. In fact, it energized me because of what I had saved as a result of my actions. And this time, chances were that no one in the Volturi government would find out.

Immediately, I jumped to my feet and whipped my head around in an attempt to locate Isabella. The fight had disorientated me but I soon found my bearings, zoning in on her heart beat over the wolf's, and using it as my guide. The mutt followed my line of sight and I saw him trembling aggressively, his fur standing on end. His upper lip peeled back over his fangs as I took off across the clearing in her direction.

As I kneeled down before her, I listened to her shallow breaths and watched her blood seep into the grass from a visible head wound. I had never fed from humans and years of visiting Isabella every October had desensitized me to the scent of her blood, but with it out in the open now, taunting me, I felt tempted.

My throat burned, hammering at my resolve, and I made a desperate effort to close my mouth tightly to combat my lingering blood thirst.

Isabella was still unconscious, her lips parted slightly, her heart rhythm steady, and I had never felt more ill than I did that that very moment. How had I been so careless? I did not even sense the Rogue before he attacked - not even his thoughts, which I could clearly read, considering what I heard during our fight. In fact, now that I recalled our struggle, I could not recall him carrying any scent whatsoever, identifying his presence prior to the assault.

Just as I reached out to brush Isabella's hair from her mud covered forehead, I smelled the fury radiating from the wolf and heard his heavy paws as they pounded the earth. I turned around and watched him charge at me.

"Do not mess with me, dog," I warned over my shoulder as he approached.

My words did not deter him so upon impact, I shoved him aside easily, but not before he grabbed my arm, taking me with him. We barreled across the grass until I finally succeeded in pushing him away from me.

The wolf's agility was impressive, his strength more than I had anticipated, and he quickly righted himself on all fours, snarling and growling as I leaped to my feet, preparing myself in a fighting stance. He blocked my path to Isabella and stared at me, panting with rage, his aura of protectiveness , propelling my fury regarding his interference.

His motive was obvious. The beast wanted to talk.

My back stiffened as I studied the animal's trembling form and watched in amazement as his fur slowly receded, revealing russet-colored skin, and the creature became a two-legged being, Jacob reappearing before me in human form without a stitch of clothing on.

It was during times like these that I wished vampires did not possess such impeccable night vision.

For a seventeen year old, he was much too muscular, clearly a characteristic of his kind once the males came of age and were able to phase into dogs.

"What the hell was that with that crazy bloodsucker you just annihilated?!" he demanded, marching toward me.

"Nothing," I replied curtly.

"I never knew you creatures went _Poof!_ like that." He stuck out his tongue and wiped it with his dirty hand, making me cringe. "Eww, I think I got some of him in my mouth after you killed him. Next time, give me a warning or something. Even in wolf form I can understand the English language, leech."

"There will not be a next time," I muttered, annoyed by his presence which was keeping me from Isabella.

"I knew about death by burning, but wow, that was something!" he continued, oblivious to my impatience. "The pack will definitely be interested to know that there's another option."

"That," I said, gesturing to the area of the clearing where I obliterated the vampire, "was not another option. You will keep what you saw to yourself, got it?"

Jacob's eye narrowed as I brushed grass and dirt from my vest. "You don't tell me what to do, bloodsucker!"

"You are too fresh out of the dog house to comprehend the ramifications, if what you just witnessed, gets out. Consider that your one and only warning."

Sticking his chin in the air and puffing out his massive chest, Jacob stood firm. "I know plenty and don't think I'm frightened by your threat. My kind has killed vampires for centuries."

Ignoring him, I took a step toward Isabella and he visibly tensed.

"What do you think you're doing?" he growled, his hands bunched into fists.

"What does it look like I am doing, mutt?" I sneered, attempting to ignore the wet dog stench emanating from him. "Bella is in need of medical attention. I must remove her from here immediately."

Jacob's eyes grew wide. "Like hell you are!" he roared.

He took a defensive stance in front of her, perspiration running down his face. I had no idea how he stood feeling so hot all of the time. His temperature in both wolf and human form was at least one hundred and eight degrees.

My upper lip curved up over my teeth, a low hiss emanating from my chest. I did not like his over-protectiveness. Isabella was mine. I did not care if he was her friend or not.

I attempted to read his mind as I did earlier when he was in wolf form, but there seemed to be some sort haze accompanying his thoughts this time. At the party, in such closed quarters, I was so repulsed by his stench and vulgar speech, that it was difficult to focus on his brain and since I had no previous experience reading the mind of a werewolf in human form, I was not sure if I even possessed the ability to do.

"Let me have her," I ordered.

"Forget it," he snarled, his muscles flexing from rage.

I was easily stronger than him, but with Isabella's safety at risk, I did not want to take the chance and out manoeuvre him just in case he did something foolish and ended up harming her further in his attempt to get at me.

My eyes narrowed. "Now."

"No." He advanced toward me and I crouched on the defence.

"One more step and you will be sorry," I threatened.

He halted in his tracks, weighing my menace, and evidently came to his senses when he decided not to advance further. He huffed, his chest heaving from his labored respirations, and crossed his arms.

It was obvious that this was going to take longer than I originally thought and if we were going to be playing his little game for the next few minutes, some adjustments had to be made.

"Can you put some clothes on?" I demanded, gesturing to his naked form.

"I can't," he mumbled, unembarrassed as he looked down. "My clothes tore off when I phased and I don't exactly keep a spare set on me, ya know?"

Shaking my head, I unbuttoned my vest, tossing it aside. I then removed my white dress shirt, which was stained with mud, grass and vampire ash, and handed it to him. My cuff links were no longer fastened to the sleeves and I determined that they must have fallen off during the fight.

"Take this," I barked, holding the shirt out as I glanced at Isabella behind him, waiting for the perfect opportunity to make my move. "It will cover you in all the necessary areas."

"I don't need it," he challenged.

"Believe me, you do," I argued. "Now, take the shirt. It will cover you up properly."

"I don't want to smell like a leech."

"You already bit into one, what is the difference?"

He looked down at my offering and grudgingly snatched it from my hand. "No one better come by and see me in your clothes," he muttered as he put it on. "It won't look good."

I rolled my eyes. "It will look even worse if you do _not_ put it on."

"Shit!" His eyes widened. "Look at your arm!"

I glanced at my wrist and shrugged. The wound was almost completely healed. I could not even see the bone anymore. In a few more minutes, all traces of the vampire's bite would be gone.

"It is nothing," I mumbled, shielding my injury from his view.

"If you say so..." his voice trailed off and as his clumsy hands fumbled with the small buttons of the shirt, I eyed Isabella.

She lay peacefully on the ground behind him, nestled in my jacket, her head wound bleeding profusely as that kind usually did, and I assessed from my position that she was not in any immediate danger. Once the wound was attended to by Carlisle, she would recover nicely. Other modifications would have to be made as well but that could not happen until after I removed her from this meadow.

Her current stable condition afforded me the opportunity to outsmart the wolf blocking her, which would not be difficult considering his adolescent simplicity. Very quickly, I mentally devised a plan.

Once he was properly covered up, Jacob looked over his shoulder at Isabella and cringed. The pain on his face was obvious and I wondered if he really did have her best interests in mind, even though by blocking me from her, he was not doing her any favors.

"I could have fought the Rogue on my own, without your feeble attempts at assisting me," I informed him.

"The _what_?" he asked, turning to face me again.

"The vampire that attacked Bella," I explained exasperatedly. I felt like I was dealing with a toddler.

"Ha!" he scoffed, running his hand through his short black hair. "Well, if that's the case, Bella wouldn't have been captured and knocked unconscious in the first place. I couldn't just stand and watch so I joined in. I think I helped you more than you want to admit."

Further attempts to read Jacob's thoughts failed, all that came across was white noise, so my best bet was to keep him talking until I could make my move.

"Why were you following us anyway?" I asked, trying to keep my mind off of Isabella's blood that overwhelmed all of my senses as a crisp breeze blew her scent strongly in my direction.

The dog looked at me as though I was insane. "Duh! You're a vampire – I knew that as soon as I spotted you at the party - not to mention that you reek and radiate such coldness that I'm surprised you're not giving off vapors and people aren't shivering around you. So I wanted to make sure you didn't kill my friend on your _walk_."

I glowered at him.

"That's right," he sneered. "I heard all about your proposition to Bella in the kitchen." He rolled his eyes. "A walk - yeah right."

"You should be looking after your female instead of following me," I retorted.

"Even though you leeches are in Forks, I knew Leah could handle getting back to the Rez safely on her own," he continued. "So that left me the opportunity to take care of Bella. I couldn't tell her not to go with you because it would look suspicious, especially after she told me to back off and leave her alone in the living room, so after Leah left, I stuck to the shadows outside. When I saw you emerge from the house, I followed, staying far enough behind so my scent would blend in with the forest. My acute smell allowed me to track you - you leeches all stink the same."

I was grateful that he had not stumbled upon us during our moments of intimacy. I was certain that if Jacob discovered Isabella in my embrace before the Rogue interrupted us, I would have been fighting off more than one attacker tonight.

I rolled my eyes. "If you have such great senses when it comes to vampires, why did your acute smell not pick up on the Rogue?"

"Why didn't yours?" he countered, his brown eyes narrowed.

I paused, mulling over his comment, recalling my earlier concerns.

The Rogue's lack of scent and the silence in his brain before he attacked continued to puzzle me.

Since I did not have an answer, I chose to ignore the mutt's question. "Regardless, none of that matters now. What matters is that time is of the essence and if you were a true friend to her, you would let _me_ take care of her. You have your mate, leave Bella alone."

"My dad knows her dad and she's a family friend, so it makes sense that she comes with me," he argued. "I'm not leaving her with you. I'm going to take her to my house. You might eat her or something. I don't know what you and your kind are doing here, but I don't like it."

"How will you explain to her father what happened? It is best if she comes with me. I promise I will not harm her. Plus, my coven does not feed on human blood. We only feed on animal blood."

Jacob scoffed. "I've never heard of such a thing."

"I am not surprised. You hardly seem educated at all."

I focused in on his thoughts, curious as to whether he had an escape plan, and a growl blasted from his chest.

"Can you stop trying to read my mind!" he exclaimed.

I ceased my effort, shocked by his comment.

"You can tell?" I asked.

"Yeah, of course I can tell!" he replied, shaking his head. "When my pack and I phase, that's how we communicate. I know what it feels like - the signs. Can all of your pack-?"

"Coven," I corrected.

"Whatever," he rolled his eyes. "Are you all mind readers?"

"No, just me."

"Oh."

This was a waste of time. I needed to hurry this along.

"You stated that you and the rest of your pack read each other's minds. Can you read mine or the thoughts of humans?" I inquired, continuing with my plan.

"No, it's just a wolf thing. Anyway," he waved me off, changing the subject. "Did that crazy bloodsucker belong with you?"

"The Rogue?" I shook my head, causing some of his ashes to fall from my hair. "No, I have never seen him before. My coven and I are not in Forks to cause trouble-"

"Then why are you here?"

I gave Isabella a fleeting look. She was the reason I had come to Forks and I was the reason she was unconscious right now. It pained me to see her down there like that because of my negligence.

"None of your business, dog," I muttered in response, prying my eyes from Isabella's peaceful face, which was marred with her blood.

"All I know is that before you showed up, there weren't crazy bloodsuckers lurking around trying to kill my friend. Coincidence? I think not," Jacob huffed, folding his arms across his chest.

I paused for a moment- again. The dog was ridiculously juvenile most of the time, but was he right? By entering Isabella's life had I placed her in more danger?

No, I refused to believe that.

"My pack smelled you when you first arrived and we were on high alert," he continued. "Our pack leader said to let you be unless you posed a threat. So far we've had no reason to interfere, until now. And before the party tonight, I had no idea that you were posing as students. How stupid."

"I am not the only supernatural being trying to pass off as human," I reminded him.

"I have a beating heart," he argued. "I'm as human as the next guy - just more powerful."

"You are a mutt," I spat.

"I'm closer to the real thing than you are. I'm _actually_ seventeen so I'm _actually_ supposed to be in high school. How old are you? A thousand?" he snickered. "That would explain your socialization skills back at the party. You talk like you have a stick up your ass."

I frowned, ignoring his statement."We must fit in somehow and considering our physical appearance, some of us need to pose as students as to not draw suspicion."

"You just want to interact with the humans so you can gain their trust and feed from them when they least expect it. Well, let me tell you something, leech." He stepped toward me, his finger pointed at my chest, and I hissed, bearing my teeth.

"I'm going to tell my pack all about what happened tonight and from now on, we will be watching you much more closely," he droned on. "There's a treaty that my ancestors made with vampires long ago. It states that you cannot come on Quilette grounds and you cannot kill or bite any humans as long as you are in Forks or the surrounding area. Violation of these terms gives us the right to start a war in order to eliminate you. One dead person in this town and we'll come after you, no questions asked." He paused, his eyebrows knitting together as he dropped his hands to his sides.

"Wait, did you just say _some_ of us?" he remarked with disgust, his mind just registering now what I had said earlier. "How many leeches are there in Forks?"

"Seven in total," I replied. "There are two more of us posing as students aside from the others that I'm sure you saw tonight at the party and then there is our coven leader and his mate."

"What do they do?"

"Physician and interior designer."

"A bloodsucking doctor?" he spat. "Figures - he can attack unsuspecting patients."

I ran my hand through my hair, frustrated by his lack of understanding. "I told you, canine, we do not feed from humans."

"Whatever." He rolled his eyes and then locked them with mine. "Wait, is that why those animal carcases have been popping up all over the forest, lately?"

"Why, are they friends of yours?" I sneered.

Then I froze, suddenly realizing that my family and I made special efforts to bury our kill as to not raise questions, which meant those animals did not die because of us.

Nomads almost always drank from humans, but there were a few exceptions, including our distant associates in Denali, Alaska - a coven of vampires who Carlisle befriended long before he changed me. However, given our relationship with them, if they were in the area, they would have paid us a visit, as Carlisle always informed them of our new location every time we moved.

So if there were dead animals drained of blood visible in the forest, and we discovered that the Denali coven had not come here to hunt, this could indicate further Rogue vampire activity.

Given the information provided by Jacob, my coven and I would have to monitor the situation and determine if the carcass occurrences stopped now that I killed that French vampire tonight. If not, it could mean trouble.

"You think you're so superior, don't you?" Jacob scoffed, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Well, you're holier than thou attitude is pissing me off."

Squaring my shoulders, I glared at him "At least I am not snarky and my vocabulary consists of a vast variety of terms instead of simply _whatever_."

I walked forward and the wolf crouched defensively.

"Stay away from Bella. Don't push me, parasite," he snarled.

"I am done here. I have entertained you long enough."

"You're not going anywhere _near_ her," he bellowed. "I don't care if you say you drink from animals or not. I don't trust you. For all I know, that Rogue was your friend and you're just so murderous that you would turn against your own kind."

"That is ridiculous!"

"I'm telling you, stay away from the veins of any human around here and don't even _think_ about setting foot on La Push. You'll have the entire pack after you – all _fifteen_ of us."

He emphasized the _fifteen_ as if their numbers were supposed to be intimidating, but I did not even flinch.

"We do not want to go near your doggie playground so there will never be a need for us to venture to La Push. But forget your orders about Bella. She is coming with me and that is final. It is imperative that she does not remember anything from tonight."

Jacob's eyes widened and the confidence in his voice diminished. "Wha-? What do you mean she can't remember? What are you doing to do to her?"

"None of your business," I growled, aware that my plan was progressing right on track.

His eyes narrowed as he struggled to regain his composure. "Don't you hurt her."

Isabella's heart rate picked up slightly, causing me some alarm and I knew that I had to escalate this further if I expected to attend to her soon. This adolescent banter was a ridiculous waste of time. I had her health to worry about and this pup was getting in my way.

I stepped toward him, sensing his instability and using it to my advantage. "You cannot threaten me."

"I said, don't you hurt her!" he roared, adrenaline racing through his veins.

I had to stop myself from laughing. This dog was playing right into my plan and he had no clue.

With his sudden increase in anger, Jacob's heart hammered in his chest, speeding up immeasurably from just a few moments ago. I heard his muscles stretch and watched the veins in his neck bulge, and as he started shaking and his chest heaved up and down, I knew that his rage had triggered his phasing, just like I assumed it would.

I did not have much time. It was now or never. As a wolf he would be able to catch up to me more easily, but if I left now, I would be long gone by the time he was capable of running after me.

His physical shift began, ruining my once perfectly good vintage shirt, and I used that as my chance to grab Isabella. Without warning, I darted around him during his incapacitating mid-transformation stage and carefully gathered her into my arms.

Her heart skipped a beat when I pulled her close to me, her blood penetrating my senses. Once again, I fought with my self-control, for the first time, relating to what the rest of my coven, excluding Esme, must have gone through when they changed from human blood to the blood of animals. One taste of Isabella's sweet sustenance would be my complete undoing, of this I was certain, so I closed my mouth and focused on getting her back to my house safely.

I covered her face as best as I could, and wrapped my jacket tighter around her, knowing that once I hit full speed, the fall elements would be especially harsh. Her tiny costume did not help matters and I cursed myself for ever suggesting a walk with her in the first place. Luckily, she was unconscious because the sensation when I took off would undoubtedly throw her equilibrium off balance, causing her to feel sick which would only add to the unpleasantness of the situation.

Her body felt feather-light in my arms as I darted toward home, leaving the wolf behind. By the time he recovered from his change and picked up on my scent, I would be back at our compound and there was no way he would be stupid enough to come by there alone. And if he did, there was no way I would allow him anywhere near her.

Isabella and I were not officially mated but as far as I was concerned, my bond to her was cemented as such and I would protect her at all costs. As to what would occur when the mutt relayed the message back to his pack - that would have to be dealt with later. Right now, Isabella was my top priority.

As I raced us through the trees under the starry night sky with my precious cargo, in the direction of my home, Isabella's heart raced, and her body temperature dropped rapidly, undoubtedly from the jolt to her system that my speed provided, in addition to her close proximity to my ice-cold skin. I was concerned that she had gone into shock, and as her blood saturated my bare torso, I pushed myself faster.

There were so many questions I needed answers to and although I was not sure how my family would feel about me bringing a bloody human into our dwelling, I had no choice. We were the only ones who could help her and furthermore, I had to debrief them and find out, most importantly, if in coming to Forks, was I to blame for what happened to Isabella tonight?

**What did ya think?**

**Leave me sugar!**


	15. Tender is the Night

**A/N Hello lovelies! Thank you so much for all the positive feedback we have been getting on EO. Alex and I are truly humbled and really appreciate your kind words. We know that we are breaking from the norm and away from some cannon Twilight but I hope you keep liking it. We really can't wait to show you what we have to come!**

**Recap of the Cullen's powers:**

**_Carlise - can selectively heal superfical wounds on humans with a simple touch._**

**_Esme - can move objects with her mind except those made from pure silver._**

**_Rosalie - immunity to the affects of pure silver. (she can move/manipulate/break it with her mind and touch it without consequence, which all other vampires cannot do)_**

**_Emmett - can selectively erase human memories_**

**_Jasper - technological genius and he can manipulate human and vampire emotions_**

**__****_Alice - has visions of the future_**

**_Edward - mind reader and he possesses 'special' venom which kills vampires differently than others of his kind (see last chapter for a demonstration of how this works, LOL)_**

**I guess I edited this chapter but Alex gives me near perfection so you get the idea. **

**Twilight isn't ours.**

Chapter Fourteen: Tender is the Night

_**Edward**_

As I approached our house, the front door was already wide open. They knew I was coming. Bella's bloody, unconscious body trembled violently in my arms from our journey and it was of the utmost importance that I fixed what occurred tonight, using all of the resources available to me.

Her blood soaked my skin, flooding me with its sweet scent and if I was any other vampire, from any other coven, the temptation would have been too much and she would have never made it here alive.

This was the true test of my control.

As predicted, the wolf was not on my trail. Halfway through my journey, I heard his enraged, defeated howl, but knew that it was not over between him and I. However, he nor the rest of his pack were of any concern to me right now.

Alice stepped out onto the front porch and gasped when she saw Bella. My only concern was the female in my arms so I brushed passed her with only a fleeting look. She followed me into the house, her thoughts inundating me with questions as to what happened, which I found odd because she was usually well-informed on her own.

"Are you insane? What are you thinking bring a bleeding human here - into a house full of vampires?" Rose shrieked as I crossed the threshold into the foyer, where the rest of my family stood. "And where the heck is your shirt?"

As soon as the words spilled from her lips, she halted in her tracks. Her eyes grew wide and her hand flew to her mouth as she focused on Bella.

"Oh, goodness, I didn't realize there was so m-much b-blood," she stammered.

Emmett moved in front of her immediately, sensing her instability. Although his inner thoughts told me that he struggled as well, he forced himself to remain strong, putting his concern for his mate ahead of his own. It was no surprise that Rosalie was having the most difficult time in dealing with the blood, considering her past experience with feeding from humans.

Carlisle's thoughts reflected that he was the calmest one of the group, after dealing with various human emergencies over the decades during his medical practice. But even he was shocked by the state she was in.

"That's Bella's blood all over you, isn't it?!" Alice cried, her body trembling. "And vampire ash?"

Rosalie winced and kept her mouth covered, her inner struggle with her blood thirst evident in her thoughts and body language. I tightened my grip on Bella, eyeing my coven members for any indications of an attack.

All of them, except Carlisle, fought to remain in control and suddenly, I worried that perhaps it was not such a good idea to bring her here for treatment. In my haste to get Bella to safety, I did not take into account that my home could be far from a safe haven for her.

"If at any time you feel yourself slipping," I announced to my coven, my_ family_, refusing to let my guard down for even a moment. "I ask you to please leave immediately, for I cannot guarantee that I will not hurt you in order to protect Bella."

Rose lowered her trembling hand from her mouth while Emmett moved beside her, pressing her head into his chest as he pulled her in close.

"I'll be alright, Edward," she promised. "I-I just need a few moments to get used to it, that's all."

"Rosalie, do not feel ashamed if you cannot control yourself and you must leave,' I assured. "It was wrong of me to tempt you like this, but I had nowhere else to go."

She nodded and I looked to my other family members.

"Don't worry, bro, I'll be good," Emmett guaranteed.

"I will be fine," Jasper whispered.

His face was tight as he stared at Bella in my arms, recalling a barrage of dreadful images from his experience on the battlefield as a human, surrounded by many dying men with missing limbs and anguished cries.

Vividly, he remembered the stench of their blood as it oozed out of them, ushering them to Death's door. He had lived with those memories of the thick, metallic smell for such a long time that I knew he was not as much of a threat as some of the others.

Alice held his hand, studying his vacant stare. Sensing his sadness, but not wanting to pry, she looked away, internally assuring me that she would be fine as well.

"Esme?" I looked to her as she returned to Carlisle's side after shutting the front door.

"I'm alright, Edward. My feeding background is similar to yours so I'm not having as hard of a time as the others."

I nodded, satisfied with their responses, but nevertheless, I was still on high alert. Their self-control could give way in an instant, leading to devastating consequences, which was also why I did not bother asking Alice if she saw any members of our coven slipping up tonight. By the time a shift in their thoughts occurred and Alice received the resulting vision, it would be too late.

"And what about you, Edward?" Carlisle asked. "I know you want to help, but you have never been exposed to human blood to this degree, even during medical school. Are you certain that you can remain in control?"

At first, I was angered by his doubt, as if I would ever allow anything terrible to happen to Bella by my own hand. But I forced myself to understand that he was only looking out for me.

Staring down at Bella in my arms, I thought about my reaction to her blood when I first kneeled beside her in the forest, as well as my near slip-up during our moments of intimacy, and I drew on my inner strength to continue to be successful in my resolve.

"I will be fine," I muttered, catching Carlisle's gaze once again.

"Come Edward, place her on the couch in the living room," he instructed. "I set up my medical supplies as soon as Alice saw you heading here. There have been no trick-or-treaters at all this evening so we do not have to worry about any unexpected visitors."

With my coven in tow, I walked into the next room and I set Bella down carefully. Esme approached and brushed the hair from her face. My body tensed, knowing that although Esme ensured she was alright in dealing with the blood, the possibility of danger still lingered.

"So, tell us what happened," Carlisle prompted.

"A male Rogue - one that I did not recognize - tried to attack Bella while she was in my presence. She was knocked aside, fell and hit her head, rendering her unconscious," I explained gravely. "I killed him."

Rose eyes grew wide. _Not again!_ she cried internally.

I ignored her. This was not like the last time. The Volturi, I assumed, did not have an invested interest in this Rogue so they would never find out what I had done. Furthermore, the evidence of his existence - the ash that I had dusted off my clothes - would be washed away by rainfall, come morning.

"It was the right decision," Carlisle assured, placing a hand on my shoulder and giving it a squeeze. "All of us would've done the same if it was our mate and I'm glad you brought her here so we can care for her properly. She is always welcome in our home."

I did not bother correcting him that Bella was not technically my mate - not yet, anyway.

I thought about her desperate pleas in the forest, begging me to consume her, meanwhile she had no idea what that truly entailed. Little did she know, she had already consumed me. Every ounce of my being.

"Edward, I'm so sorry," Alice exclaimed as she stepped away from Jasper's side toward me. She trembled and her eyes were wide. "I just saw you on your way here with an injured Bella, but nothing about the attack..."

"Not now, Alice, please," I requested. I turned back to Carlisle. "I did not sense the Rogue's approach. No scent, warning...nothing."

My coven looked at me with wide eyes. They were all thinking the same thing.

This was _not_ good.

"Edward, why don't you get in the shower and clean yourself up?" Esme suggested from Bella's side. "Bring down what you have left of your clothes and I will discard them," She paused, noting my hesitation. "Don't worry. Carlisle will look after her."

"No, I will not leave her," I replied. My steadfast stare told her not to press the issue any further.

"Alright, well, at least let me get you a cloth."

"Please look after Bella first."

"I _will _look after her, but you must get cleaned up as well."

I did not bother to dispute Esme because it was in her nature to take care of others and I was grateful for her concern, even though it should be directed at Bella first and foremost, not me.

Using her gift, Esme retrieved a wash cloth from the kitchen and began wiping my face and torso, removing most of the debris, as I jammed my hands into the pockets of my trousers, eyeing Bella. Once she was finished, she gathered a wash basin and another cloth to work on our human visitor.

As she placed her items on the coffee table, she attempted to remove my jacket from Bella, which was soaked in her blood.

"I will do that," I whispered, halting her actions.

Esme nodded, conceding to my request and stepped aside. As I took off my coat and tossed it aside, the urge to burn it overwhelmed me. It would always be a reminder of what happened to Bella, one I did not need, even though I knew that I would never forgive myself or forget the incidence anyway.

I studied Bella's soft expression and brushed my thumb across her cheek over the dried blood, silently willing it to disappear. Her rapid pulse indicated that my simple touch startled her and I forced myself to back away. Esme placed her hand in mine, signaling for me to allow Carlisle to inspect her. I reluctantly conceded.

"Carlisle," I begged as he approached the couch. "Please ensure that you inspect her thoroughly. I did not sense any cranial hemorrhaging or broken bones, and her body does not seem to be in shock, but I would like your opinion."

"Of course, Edward," he smiled. "She is in good hands with all of us looking after her, not to worry."

Hesitantly, I stepped back, hovering close enough that I could supervise his examination. I did not like to stand idly by, especially since I, too, possessed a medical degree, but I trusted my family to attend to her as though she were one of our own, and knew that Carlisle was more of an expert in dealing with human maladies with his decades of hands-on experience than I was.

Esme draped a blanket over Bella, attempting to warm her up while the rest of us looked on in silence, both externally and internally. Jasper attempted to ease Alice's distress, but she was so greatly affected by what happened that it was a continuous effort, one that was wearing him out. The fact that she did not see it coming was of great concern to her - to all of us.

I watched Bella's chest slowly rise and fall with each shallow breath she took and her pulse slowed to a steady, healthy rate once again.

Rose handed me a black buttoned-down dress shirt, drawing my attention, and I accepted it with a weak smile. I was shocked by her gesture, but grateful nonetheless.

_Not to worry. She will be fine_, she assured me in her thoughts.

I nodded and put on the new shirt, my gaze never wavering from Bella.

"Emmett," I called. He stepped to my side, knowing that I would not move from this spot. His relaxed manner told me that he was dealing with Bella's blood just fine so I was not concerned about his close proximity to her. "You are going to have to work on her. She cannot remember anything that happened tonight."

"But Edward, this is your chance, bro! Bella already knows you're a vampire, right? According to Alice's prophecy, it was going to happen one way or another. Maybe this was how it's supposed to go down."

"No, she does not know what I am," I explained. "She was unconscious before my fight with the Rogue. She would have only heard our collision and even then she probably would not have understood what was happening. However, she did get a good look at him when he held her up, which, given his appearance, I am sure, would raise some questions. Although, I do not think _vampire_ would be her first guess."

Emmett shrugged. "I say just tell her."

I shook my head. "This is not how I wanted her to find out about us. It is not the right time and I am not ready. I do not want that vicious creature to be her first introduction to our kind. It will be harder for me to convince her that we are not all horrific and she will surely have nothing to do with me if she finds out I am of the same breed as her attacker. You_ must _erase her memory."

"Why don't I erase the Cullen memories in the minds of everyone in town and we can get the heck out of here?" he suggested. "This is getting too close for comfort."

"We're not going anywhere," Alice stated with finality as she stepped to my other side. I was appreciative of her support, but even without it, I would not leave Bella now.

"Okay," Emmett sighed. "But you know I can't do this to her all the time. The long term effects of erasing human memories have not been studied."

Carlisle kneeled beside Bella and pulled down the blanket, revealing her costume which had captivated me earlier, reminding me of a decade I cherished. Her attire was slightly risqué, the swell of her breasts pushing against the top of the bodice, her short skirt displaying her long, lean legs, but she made it look classy. Even in her current state, she looked absolutely stunning.

I recalled laying my eyes on her for the first time at the party tonight and feeling completely mesmerized by her beauty. Upon my arrival, I was overwhelmed with the urge to assault every male that looked at her with impure thoughts, which was most of the males at the gathering, and show them that she belonged to me and that I would not share.

When Bella's gaze caught mine from across the room, I felt complete and I knew I would treasure that moment forever. I did not like the fact Emmett was going into her mind and altering her memories, but it had to be done.

Esme closed the drapes of the large front window _'just in case'_ and then stood beside Emmett, while Jasper started a fire in the hearth, in an effort to assist us in raising Bella's body temperature.

Carlisle opened her eyes, searching them with his penlight for pupil reactivity. "Emmett is correct," he announced. "He cannot tamper with her mind or others in this town too often so we must be selective about the circumstances in which they simply cannot be allowed to remember."

"Well, I'd say tonight is one of those circumstances," Rose added. "Unless Edward just wants to change her now while she's out of it."

I whipped my head around and narrowed my eyes.

She held up her hands in defence. "Sorry, I was just stating all the options..."

"No, it is _not_ an option when Bella has no say in the matter," I argued.

"Okay, okay," she replied as she casually leaned against the grand piano in the middle of the vast room.

Immediately, I felt badly about snapping at her when I knew she was only trying to help, even though her logic was twisted. I was proud of Rose's resolve and conscious effort not to slip up in the presence of Bella's blood and once Bella was in good health again and my emotions were more stable, I would make sure to inform Rose of this.

"Alright, Edward," Carlisle declared as he fastened his medical bag closed and walked away from the couch. "I listened for any abnormal sounds and there were none. And she passed her physical examination with flying colors. My professional, medical conclusion is that she is stable and simply unconscious. Your initial assessment was correct. Emmett can work on her first before she wakes up and then I will heal her wound and diminish any chance of infection. The bleeding has already stopped. It's just a small gash."

"So up to what point do you want her to remember?" Emmett asked. He walked over to the couch and crouched beside Bella. "I have to erase a substantial amount of time before the attack to ensure that she won't be able to recall any of it. Since it's probably an emotionally-charged memory, considering what she experienced, I'll need to do extra work. As much as I'd like to only get rid of her recollections of the Rogue, it's best not to take any chances."

As I recalled the evening, with incredible guilt and sadness, I determined what her last memory should be. Given Emmett's instructions, there was no way that our time in the woods could be salvaged - any of it.

Running my hand through my hair, I stepped beside him, towering over Bella. "Have her last memory be at the party, inside Mike's house, standing with me in the kitchen with a glass of water in hand, a few minutes after our initial hellos and our exchange with her friends in the living room. Going back that far will ensure that she does not remember the attack."

_Which also means she will not remember our walk, our lovely conversation...our kisses..._I added silently to myself with deep remorse.

However, I forced myself to focus on the fact that it was safest this way. I could have told Emmett to eliminate our entire encounter from this evening but I wanted her to remember at least some of our time together.

"Make Bella believe that she was not feeling well so I drove her home in her truck and dropped her off at her front door," I added. "She will not recall how she got upstairs but her assumptions will be good enough. I will worry about explaining to her how I got home later on."

"No problem-o," Emmett agreed rubbing his hands together, eager to begin.

As he closed in on her, Bella stirred slightly from her slumber, her heart racing. Her expression was serene and I wanted nothing more than to preserve that peacefulness in her forever.

Suddenly, her pulse accelerated greatly and to my utter shock, her eyelids fluttered open and through a groggy stare, her gaze locked with mine. Wincing, she lazily lifted her arm, attempting to touch her head, undoubtedly feeling the sting of her wound, while I stood paralyzed by her deep brown eyes that reached into the depths of my being. The pain in her stare was palpable and I wished that Carlisle had healed her gash before Emmett used his gift.

"Uh oh," Rose mumbled behind me, noticing Bella's rouse from unconsciousness.

"Hurry, Em," Jasper urged.

Emmett glanced at me for confirmation, knowing a swift decision was necessary. "She'll be awake fully pretty soon, bro. I should do it now before she freaks out," he advised.

"Edward?" Bella whispered hoarsely, blinking rapidly in her drowsy state. Dried dirt crumbled from her skin as the lines on her forehead deepened with confusion.

As my name unexpectedly spilled from her lips, her soft, broken voice tearing into my core, I struggled with my choice, agonizingly so. Her stare was innocent and sweet, the same captivating gaze she wore just before I kissed her tonight - the one that had cemented my decision to place my lips to hers - and I did not know if I wanted her to forget our glorious moments together.

But then a flash of the Rogue's menacing red eyes invaded my mind, along with Bella's frightful expression as he captured her in his grasp, and I knew what had to be done.

My gaze softened in a desperate attempt to declare my silent apology to the woman I loved for what I was about to sanction.

Disoriented, she sleepily tried to lift her head, reaching her arm out to me, and I knew it was time.

"Edward...." Her voice trailed off and her eyelids half-closed as her arm slowly fell back onto the couch alongside her body. However, her fixed stare into my eyes never faltered.

"Do it," I instructed softly to my coven member as I reluctantly tore my gaze from hers.

Briefly, I squeezed my eyes shut and when I opened them, I saw Bella's attention dart over to Emmett as he closed in on her. Her eyes widened and her pulse quickened.

Her weak, panicked voice almost brought me to my knees. "Edward, what's hap-?!"

Following my orders, Emmett placed his large palm against her forehead and closed his eyes, silencing her. Bella went limp, slipping into unconsciousness once again, her pulse slowing down considerably.

A soft moan escaped from her lips, the same luscious, remarkable lips that had been on mine tonight during the beautiful kisses we shared that she would now fail to remember forever.

Wincing, I turned away, the pain much too dreadful to bear. The reality of the situation weighed heavily on my silent heart. Knowing that she would not recall our time together, except for our initial conversation at the party, absolutely devastated me.

Alice pulled me away and placed her hand in mine, looking up at me with sorrowful eyes. "Edward, this is entirely my fault," she whispered.

"No," I replied, pulling her in for a hug. I placed my chin on top of her head, trying to focus on anything other than what was occurring behind me. "Please do not blame yourself."

My eyes locked with Jasper's pained expression as he recalled Alice's emotional state and guilt after the incident so many years before. The last thing we wanted was for her to relive that experience.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she repeated, over and over again into my chest.

"Shh, it is alright," I murmured into her hair as I rubbed her back.

Jasper looked to the floor, defeated, opting to withhold his gift, offering himself a reprieve after his tiresome, continuous, futile efforts to calm Alice down permanently tonight.

In the large mirror on the far wall, I watched Emmett erasing Bella's thoughts. Once again, a peaceful expression rested upon her spectacular face, and I forced myself to believe that I was doing the right thing. I monitored her heart rate and respirations for any signs of distress, but there were none as usual whenever Emmett used his gift on humans.

Alice stirred in my grasp and backed away, looking up at me with wide eyes. "Please let me explain myself."

I caught Jasper's stare and he silently pleaded with me to help her, knowing that I was the only one who could provide her any solace. I looked down at her with a weak smile, attempting to rectify the situation.

"You do not need to explain anything, Alice," I assured. "It is not your fault. I was the one who should have been more careful. Your gift is not a crutch for me to place blame upon. Your visions are sporadic so we never expect you to have all the answers. You simply receive what is given to you and have no control over what matters they regard."

She ignored my comment, her thoughts reflecting her desire to clarify what happened. "But the thing is that I _did_ have a vision about tonight. I saw you and Bella in your car and-"

"Wait, in my _car_?" Her statement caught me off guard.

"Yes, and-"

"We were never in my car. We went for a walk near the woods by Mike's house and that is all."

Alice pursed her lips as Emmett moved away from Bella, his task completed. Instead of feeling relieved that the job was done and Bella would not remember her frightening experience, I felt remorse, and I focused on Alice to try and distract myself.

"Well, were you thinking of taking her in your car and driving her somewhere?" she asked, successfully regaining my attention. "Maybe you just hadn't thought about it yet. In my vision, I had flashes of a restaurant - you two were there and she was eating a big meal - a meat dish of some sort. I know it was from tonight because she was wearing her costume and you were dressed in yours too..."

I shook my head. "No, actually she was telling me on our walk how full she was from all of the snack foods at the party - and I certainly do not eat. I would not have taken her to a restaurant tonight, of this I am certain."

She stepped out of my embrace and looked to our coven, standing in a semi-circle around us. "So are you saying that my vision was...altered?"

The seven of us exchanged glances. But that could notbe. Not again.

"Alright, Alice, what else did you see?" Carlisle asked, attempting to shift our focus.

"Well, everything was fine with Edward and Bella. Jasper and I saw them leave the party and then I got a vision. They were laughing and having a really nice time, driving in Edward's car and then conversing over dinner - nothing out of the ordinary - so I didn't think anything of it and let them be. The next thing I saw was Edward running through the woods with Bella unconscious in his arms."

Alice turned to me. "The vision was clear so I knew it was going to happen soon and there was no point in trying to find you to warn you. So Jasper and I drove straight home from the party to warn the others so we could prepare for your arrival, which was only minutes after we arrived. But everything in between was just the two of you talking and laughing. Usually, I can see everything but this...well, the only other time I couldn't even _remotely_ see what was going to happen – when I had those false, misleading visions, was with-"

"Don't say his name," Jasper interrupted softly.

The tension in the air was thick as we all knew who Alice was referring to. Calmness washed over me, and I assumed the rest of us, which was undoubtedly Jasper's doing. He instinctively stepped toward Alice and protectively placed his arms around her as she lowered her head, blocking her thoughts from me purposely.

"Was your job successful?" Carlisle turned to Emmett, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, it was." He pouted and scratched his head. "Although, I gotta admit, I had to scrub a little harder than normal. That's girl's brain was different. I don't know. I can't put my finger on it. I've never had that much trouble before."

"But it was successful?" Carlisle repeated.

"Yup, it's all gone, not to worry," Emmett boasted with a large grin.

Carlisle nodded. "That's interesting. You had to work harder in scrubbing her memories, and Edward cannot hear her thoughts at all." He paused for a moment and then smiled at me. "Alright, let me take care of her wound and then you can take her home so her parents don't worry. In the meantime, tell us more about the Rogue."

I ran my hair through my hair, my gaze following Carlisle as he ventured over to Bella. "This vampire had long black hair, dark skin and a French accent," I explained. "He was younger than me because he was not as strong. Maybe seventy or so."

Carlisle nodded. "If he was European, perhaps he is a drifter. Considering he was alone, that assumption is quite likely."

"Carlisle?" I added. "Have you spoken with your friends from Denali lately? Have they come to hunt in our area?"

"No, not that I am aware of. Why?"

"I heard tonight that there have been many dead animal caresses left haphazardly throughout the forest - in plain view."

The crease between his brows deepened. "Were they drained of their blood? Perhaps someone dug up some of our meals or the Rogue you killed tonight is responsible for remains."

"I am not sure. I will have to look into it," I replied. "I just think we need to keep an eye out during our hunts to see if it continues."

"Yes, I agree." Carlisle placed his fingertips to Bella's wound as Esme brushed her hair back from her forehead with a damp cloth, lovingly removing traces of blood and dirt from her skin.

I let her take care of Bella, her motherly instincts guiding her every action, knowing it meant a lot to her. She had been a nurse when she was human, and although she only had recollections of her love for Carlisle back then and the stories he told her, nothing else, I believed that her natural ability to care for others had transcended her transformation.

I was mesmerized by the beauty of Bella as her wound disappeared and wished more than ever I could recreate our night together without the Rogue. But I had to look at tonight as a second chance. I kissed her without thinking of the consequences, letting my deepest desires overwhelm my prudence and now I was able to rethink my actions and decide if it truly was in her best interest to invite her into my world completely.

"Edward, please continue," Carlisle instructed as he stepped away from Bella, pulling me out of my thoughts. I watched as Esme dipped the cloth into the water basin and continued cleaning Bella.

"My strength caught him by surprise, but what I do not understand is why would the vampire attack Bella when he knew she was with _another_ vampire? You would think that he would pick on a human who was alone - more vulnerable. There were tons of them walking around intoxicated outside the party house. Also, why did he not drink from her or kill her immediately? The entire thing does not make any sense."

"What was he thinking in his mind?" Carlisle asked.

"Nothing. Well, nothing of consequence. He was singing the French National Anthem."

I chose to leave out the Rogue's vision of a lifeless Bella.

Carlisle's eyebrows knitted together. "That's certainly odd. Is it possible that he did that on purpose to block his true thoughts from you? You said that you didn't hear his thoughts as he approached either. If that were the case, then that would mean he was aware of your powers beforehand and chose to attack Bella, purposely looking to get a rise out of you."

I shrugged. "I am not sure. But why would he do that? I have never seen him before."

"I can only think of one vampire that would go after you, or send others after you, seeking revenge. But it can't be, uh..." Alice glanced at Jasper. "_Him_...because he was banished to the Isle of Volterra for the rest of eternity," she reasoned.

"Well, that's another thing we must look into, no matter how farfetched it may seem." Carlisle mused. "It is important that we mustn't rule out anything yet. Right now, there are too many questions and not enough answers but if we collect the information we do know, then maybe we can start putting the pieces together later on if something strange happens again."

"We all must be on high alert, just in case there is another attack," Jasper advised, his military background causing his thoughts to run rampant with various strategies to keep our coven and Bella safe. I was grateful for his concern and for including Bella on his mental list.

"It might be an isolated incident, maybe not. Perhaps this vampire was just passing through and was so consumed with blood thirst that he didn't care that Bella was with Edward," Rose suggested.

"Either way, as Jasper stated, we must all be on high alert," Carlisle announced. "But, at least if this Rogue was a drifter, then Edward's actions should go unnoticed by the Volturi. The circumstances are much different from last time. No one will know he killed another vampire again."

The five of us nodded in agreement and I watched as Esme stood up from Bella's side. She flashed me a warm smile, cradling the bloody basin and wash cloth in her arms. "She's good as new, Edward," she informed me.

"Thank you," I whispered. She squeezed my hand and made her way toward the kitchen.

"Now, tell me again, Edward - you couldn't sense the Rogue's approach?" Carlisle asked. "So are you saying that that aside from his silent mind before the attack, he also had no scent whatsoever?"

I nodded. "Yes, that is correct. I know I was distracted with, uh..._talking_ to Bella on our walk, but I would have picked up on him."

"Hmm," Carlisle mulled over my words. "I've never heard of that before." He turned to our fellow coven member. "Jasper, we'll need you to check the Volturi's Ministry Database to see if any vampire is registered with that particular talent - the ability to disguise or alter his scent. Also, check the Volturi prison records to see if Jam-" Jasper and Alice winced. "I mean, _he-_ is still on the island," he corrected.

"But remember, Carlisle, the Volturi don't know about my silver immunity and Edward's venom," Rose piped up. "So it's possible that this vampire thwarted the system too."

"It _is _possible," Carlisle agreed. "But _very_ rare. Anyway, it won't hurt to look."

Jasper nodded. "I'm not it."

And with that, he disappeared upstairs to his computer room. Actually, it was more than just a computer room. It was a full-fledged Central Control System with extraordinary capabilities. Armed with this technology, most of which he put together himself, Jasper was unstoppable. He had the knowledge and ability to hack into any Government system - human or vampire - undetected. If there was something about this non-smelling vampire documented somewhere, he would find it.

_"I'm truly sorry."_ Alice's thoughts invaded my own as I turned my attention back to Bella.

I flashed her a reassuring look. I could tell she felt uncertain, lost and frightened. Alice had her visions for the past one hundred and nine years since she was changed and she had come to rely on them greatly. A false vision had only happened to her once before and the consequences of that had been devastating. To think it had possibly happened again did not sit well with her, or the rest of us, and I did not fault her for being scared after everything she went through last time.

"Edward, I would get Bella home soon," Emmett advised. "I'm not sure how long she will be out since nothing about my experience with her has been typical thus far."

Running my hand through my hair, I nodded, even though I felt uneasy about her leaving my side for the night.

"Now, Edward, when she wakes up she may have a headache from the fall because I can't heal her internal components, but it shouldn't be too bad," Carlisle informed me.

"So you never answered my question," Rose smirked, folding her arms across her chest. "What were you doing with Bella _without_ your shirt on?"

I rolled my eyes at her insinuation. "It is not what you think. A werewolf - one of the males at the party - assisted me in stopping the Rogue. Well, he was more of a nuisance than any help, but anyway - Jacob – that is his name. He is friends with Bella apparently and he followed us on our walk, knowing that I was a vampire. When he phased into a wolf, his clothing was lost, so I provided him with my shirt when he changed back to his human form after I killed the Rogue."

Alice snapped her fingers and turned to Jasper. "I told you I smelled a dog at that party. I didn't care if Mike insisted he didn't own a pet. And Edward stinks like a dog too - but I just assumed that he randomly picked up that scent in the forest with Bella."

Her mate shook his head with a smile. "But Mike was telling the truth. He _doesn't_ own a pet."

"I know," she giggled. "I just mean that I was correct in what I smelled, while you thought I was off my rocker and that I was sensing an animal outside."

He placed his arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. "As always, you are right, my love."

Rose balked. "Edward, you and your _destiny_ brought us to a town with wolves? Ugh, great. How did that slip by us?"

I sat down on the edge of one of the couch cushions that Bella lay upon. "Jacob and his pack members live in La Push on the reservation and work and attend school there. That is why we have not crossed paths with them until tonight. Since we moved here, I smelled wolves, as I am sure you all did too, but I just assumed that was because Forks is surrounded by dense forest. I had no idea that they were werewolves," I explained as I stroked Bella's cheek, all traces of blood and trauma eliminated.

Her skin felt as soft as I remembered from our kiss, but I forced myself to pull away after several caresses so I would not give her a chill again, especially since she was now back to the physical condition she was in before the attack.

"Will this wolf cause trouble? Are we at risk of exposure?" Carlisle inquired with a worried expression on his face and further concern occupying his thoughts.

"I do not think so," I replied, pulling the blanket up to Bella's chin. "After all, they are hiding their true identities too. I am sure that we will be hearing from the pack leader soon though. There is no way they will just let this drop."

"Well, I would be happy to speak with him," Carlisle offered with a smile. "It is best to set the record straight before this spirals out of control."

Rose scoffed and flipped her blonde hair over her shoulders, taking a seat on the chaise lounge by the window.

"Alright, Edward," Carlisle declared, folding his arms across his chest. "Emmett is correct. You should take Bella home now."

I looked between our coven leader and Bella hesitantly.

"Not to worry," Carlisle assured. "She will be safe there. I wouldn't suggest it otherwise."

"Alright," I sighed, his reassurance doing nothing to ease my concern. But I knew I could not very well keep her here.

"And Rosalie," Carlisle turned to her. "Please fetch Edward's Vantage from the party house so the humans do not grow suspicious."

"What about Bella's vehicle? Did she drive to the party herself?" she asked, her thoughts reflecting her extreme relief that she had an excuse to leave the house because Bella's blood continued to harass her resolve.

"Yes, she did. I spotted her truck outside. I need you to return it to her house," I instructed. "Emmett made her believe that I drove her home in it."

Rose stood up. "Okay, sounds good."

I reached into my pants pocket and pulled out my car keys. She looked at them and arched an eyebrow. "Edward, do you _really_ think I need those?" she smirked.

I chuckled and tossed them onto the coffee table. "Sorry, I forgot who I was speaking to."

I pulled out Bella's car keys from the pocket of my jacket that she had on earlier, knowing I would have to plant them in her house to collaborate with the memory Emmett implanted.

After placing a sensual kiss on Emmett's lips, Rose bolted out the door, slamming it shut behind her.

"Edward, you can take Bella home in the Mercedes," Carlisle advised. "It is best if you do not run with her again tonight."

"I agree. Thank you," I replied. I scooped Bella carefully into my arms, keeping the blanket wrapped around her so she would not get cold on our journey back to her place. It was much easier for me now that her blood was no longer exposed.

I walked toward the door, sensing all eyes on me. My family's thoughts were purposely silent, which made me feel uneasy. As I reached for the doorknob, Emmett grasped it first.

_I won't say anything to anyone else, but when I searched Bella's mind for the memories you wanted me to erase, I saw the intimacy you two shared tonight_, he spoke in his mind as he pulled the door open.

I froze in the doorway and glanced down at Bella. In my haste, I had forgotten that Emmett would have seen our intimate moments in order to eliminate them from her mind.

_She was happy, Edward – ecstatic, actually,_ he continued silently. _A girl in _love_. Her feelings were so strong in her memory that I can only assume that you saw them in her eyes when she stood before you._ _Now that I've seen it through her point of view, I'm on Alice's team one hundred percent. I've never been so certain. This isn't just your destiny- it's Bella's too. It was meant to be._ _Don't let what happened tonight deter you from both your happiness. Bella cared about you even before the walk, so you can try again. I know you think it's not going to be the same – that your first kiss is lost forever - but trust me, it will be just as magical for her as it was the _real_ first time. _

I nodded, avoiding his gaze. His sentiment was completely unexpected but I could not help but hope that he spoke the truth.

I left Emmett standing in the doorway and carried Bella to the garage. After removing the keys from the far wall, I placed Bella in the backseat of the Mercedes, where the windows were most tinted. I fastened her seatbelt and made sure she looked comfortable before I shut the door and made my way to the driver's seat. Although I would drive with the utmost care, I did not want to risk her safety any further

Her soothing breaths and relaxed heartbeat calmed me as I slowly weaved along the back roads toward her house. I parked down the road in the shadows, along the dense woodland where no one would spot my vehicle, and opened up my mind to the thoughts around me. I sensed no human heartbeats outside and the only thoughts I picked up on were the dreams of the various sleeping residents in the houses in my vicinity.

I half-expected the wolf to be at Bella's door, waiting for her, but he was not. I assumed that his pack leader reined him in and told him it was unwise to interfere, which of course, was correct. I was not in the mood for any more of Jacob's shenanigans. If he had chosen to meddle again tonight, our next encounter would not have been as pleasant as our first.

Carefully, I gathered Bella in my arms and approached her house from the back, choosing to enter through the sliding doors instead of the window, when I sensed that the coast was clear. As I raced up the stairs undetected, I heard her father's loud snores echoing in the living room and the low murmured voices emanating from the television set that he had left on.

When I reached the top floor, I heard Bella's mother's resting heart beat from the room at the far end of the hallway, and since the bathroom door was ajar, I knew which room belonged to Bella, as there was only one other room on this level. Not only that, but the trail of her scent led me in right direction.

As I stepped over the threshold, I looked around the simple surroundings, honored to be in her bedroom. Carefully, I placed Bella down on the bed, took off her shoes, and removed the blanket Esme provided, before pulling her own covers over top of her. The heat radiating from Bella's body was a relief from the coldness of her skin earlier and I was glad that this journey with me had been more successful than our trip to my house.

Unable to leave her just yet, I placed her car keys on her nightstand, and then took a seat in the rocking chair in the corner, the part of the room most immersed in shadow. I watched her as the moonlight seeped in through her open drapes, illuminating her sleeping form. I felt incredibly grateful for this moment for she was safe and with me, which was all I ever needed to be happy for the rest of eternity.

I looked at her dresser, which housed family photographs, a hairbrush, some makeup and various other personal items, showcasing further what type of female she was. Bella's backpack was on the floor along the side wall and a quilt was folded at the end of her bed. Her walls were adorned with posters of various rock bands and a stereo sat perched on a stand in the corner.

It was messier than expected, but from what I knew about her, it reflected her wonderful, vivacious personality perfectly. The paint was a simple off white color and a patterned area rugged covered the scuffed hardwood floors beside her bed. Her scent clung to every item and I closed my eyes, bathing in its sweetness.

The clock flashed one-ten and although I knew it was not polite to remain here uninvited, I needed more time with her.

In the stillness of her room, I recalled our evening together. I learned so much about her from her adorable Twenty Questions game, details that I now cherished. I provided her with as much information as I could - I never once lied to her - but I did skirt around many truths, choosing not to go into specifics. Sadly, it did not matter now. She would not remember the game anyway.

On our walk, when we paused near the clearing, Bella looked stunning as her hair blew across her face and she smiled up at me. That was all it took for me to lean in and kiss her. Her rapid pulse as our lips met aroused me considerably and when she moaned softly into my mouth, her sweet breath dancing on my tongue, I knew that I would never be able to exist without her.

Her lips felt tantalizingly soft and although mine were undoubtedly cold and firm, she did not pull away. We moved together perfectly, naturally, and although I took extra care to ensure that I did not hurt her, I found myself at ease with her in every instant.

Several times, when her desperate pleas for more tested by resolve and her arteries pulsated against my lips, hurling her blood throughout her delicate body, I almost lost control and sunk my teeth into her flesh. I wanted nothing more than to change her at that moment, selfishly making the decision for her, in order to fulfill my own desires. The temptation was so strong that I even thought about leaving her alone in the woods altogether just to save her from such a travesty.

But her continued assurance and stubbornness caused me to bury those needs, my love for her triumphing over any irrational behavior that struggled to emerge. I focused on pleasuring her as much as she did me, instead of feeding my bloodlust which had intensified, given our heightened state of arousal.

Her need for me was palpable and my erection grew in my trousers, pressing against her, affording me a gratification that I had never felt before. Her soft whimpers fueled my actions, making it hard for me to stop touching her, kissing her, claiming her as mine and mine alone, and we drove each other toward the precipice of desire, neither of us caring about toppling over the edge.

My body's response to our closeness took me by surprise but I welcomed the feeling. She owned me, right down to the depths of my core and I wanted nothing more than to worship every part of her like she deserved, and pleasure her until she came apart before me, under my touch and no one else's.

Earlier, she had actually called me her soulmate. Although she was gravely misinformed, her choice of word an impossible term when talking to a vampire, her faith in me was most welcoming.

I thought back to Emmett's words and wondered if it would be alright to kiss her again. I wanted it to be so, desperately, selfishly. But that meant essentially starting from scratch. We had a wonderful conversation on our walk, which I also cherished along with the kiss, and that too, was gone from her memory. Was it possible to build that foundation again with her?

I decided right then and there as I watched her sleep, that I was going to try. I _had_ to try because losing our precious time together forever was just too much to stand. But that also meant eventually revealing myself to her – all of me. That I would need to work up to, but I now knew that for the first time ever, I actually _wanted_ someone to accept me for me and I did not want to hide anymore.

During my stay in Bella's bedroom, I heard the low rumble of a vehicle traveling along the street, and knew that Rose was returning her truck. I listened for Bella's father and mother, but they were still sound asleep so they would not know that their daughter did not return when her vehicle did.

As Rose pulled into the driveway, her internal thoughts reflected that she knew I was in the house, but she did not say a word directly to me. Within a few moments, she was gone.

Bella's invigorating laughter and the way her eyes sparkled when she looked at me tonight replayed in my mind an hour later when I heard her whimper softly and stir in her sleep. She was coming out from under the effects of Emmett's memory erasing and I knew that was my cue to leave. She would most likely fall back asleep from exhaustion, but I did not want to take the chance and have her spot me. Ultimately, no matter how at ease I felt here, I was still an uninvited guest so it was not polite for me to overstay my welcome.

I picked up the blanket that had protected Bella earlier and crept toward her, placing a tender kiss to her temple. Her heart rate increased slightly.

"'Sleep well, my love," I murmured.

She shivered and I pulled her covers higher before taking Esme's blanket and exiting her bedroom through the window into the starry, damp night. I pulled the drapes closed and quietly lowered the window behind me.

As I landed softly on the ground, my chest ached. I did not want to leave Bella. Her home was with me as mine was with her, but hopefully our separation would not be for much longer. Her recollection of our night may have been lost, but mine was cemented into my thoughts forever and I desperately needed to experience it in reality again and again for the memory would not be enough to sustain me. I had to try a relationship with Bella, as long as I always put her best interests before mine.

On the drive back to my house, my controlled grip tightened on the steering wheel as I recalled the strange Rogue I encountered and his nonchalant attitude. I never would have forgiven myself had Bella's wounds been more serious. Jasper was right. We had to be on high alert. There was no way anything like this could ever happen again.

Chances were that vampire was just passing through and poor judgement was the culprit for his foolish actions, but my greatest fear was that Carlisle was onto something and that the Rogue was after me, and that he was simply a pawn in a much bigger scheme, sent by a vampire far more powerful than him. If that were the case, then this was not over and Bella was still in danger. In fact, no one in this town would be safe.

It was alright to leave her alone tonight because I did not believe the Rogue targeted her specifically, as the rest of my family believed as well, but from now on, I would have to secretly keep my eye on Bella when we were not together, just in case an influx of Rogues descended on Forks.

The rational decision would be for our coven to leave town permanently, if the vampire was indeed sent to Forks to target us, but I simply could not fathom parting from Bella. I believed at this point, it was more dangerous for her to be without my protection than for me to completely disappear.

Pulling into the garage, I spotted my Vantage parked in its spot at the far end and the keys I had tossed on the coffee table were replaced on the hook along the back wall. After hanging up Carlisle's keys, I climbed the front steps to the main door, noticing that the jack-o-lantern was no longer there. Our facade was gone, like it would have been for Bella, had my coven not intervened. Sometimes I wondered if it was better this way – no more fronts, just truths.

Upon entering the house, I noted that the fire had been put out in the hearth and I spotted an untouched bowl of candy that Esme had bought, just in case any children stopped by. Bounding up the stairs to my room, I heard Rose's playful giggles and Emmett's hearty laughter as they shared personal time together in their room at end of the hall, and Jasper's soft words of reassurance in his familiar southern dialect to a concerned Alice as they conversed in the media room.

I decided to wait and ask Jasper about his findings later. Sometimes it took him a few days to gather all of the pertinent information we needed and I was certain once he found something of consequence, he would notify us all immediately.

Carlisle and Esme were in their room next to mine, whispering loving words to each other, and I knew it was going to be one of _those_ nights.

After my shower, I dressed in dark gray slacks and a black t-shirt, and tossed my soiled jacket and trousers into the garbage receptacle at the side of the house, my rational mind opting not to burn them, considering that our home was surrounded by woodland.

I ventured up to my room, deciding to remain there until day break. During the hours of darkness, the external, loving declarations of my coven, the ones that I could not block out in the stillness of the house like I could their internal ones, were the most painful to hear, reminding me of what I did not have.

Music was my escape and I selected a _Tony Bennett_ album to listen to tonight, in an attempt to suppress the ache in my chest that stemmed from the fact that Bella was sleeping in her bedroom six and three-quarter miles from me, meanwhile she belonged in my arms like my family members with their mates.

As the haunting, familiar notes of the first song drifted throughout my room, I turned the music up loudly to drown out my coven, as they were accustomed to. I chose to remain here instead of venturing down to the living room to play piano because I was afraid that given what took place there tonight, my melodies would be too morbid and neither me nor the rest of us in the house needed to hear that tonight. Not to mention that Bella's blood scent would be much too strong down there, reminding me of my carelessness and everything I could have lost.

I sat on my leather couch in the dark with the blanket that covered Bella earlier draped on the cushion next to me. The fabric emanated her jasmine scent, which held much better memories for me, and I stayed there until the sun faintly appeared as a glorious stretch of white and blue across the horizon. The hours had passed quickly, merely a sliver in time, and my thoughts did not once shift from Bella.

As I stood up and leaned against the window pane, resting my forearm above my head, I watched the sun complete its ascent into the sky in a brilliant display of reds and oranges. It streamed into my room, creating a golden spotlight focused solely on me, its intensity rendering me nearly blind. I reveled in its warmth against my cold, shimmering skin.

Much had changed since Alice and I looked out this same window nearly twelve hours ago, but the one constant that I now knew I could always rely upon was the fact that although Bella's memories had vanished, the magnificence of our connection was much too strong to disappear forever, as Emmett had stressed earlier.

Emmett provided me with my first and, mostly likely, final glimpse into what was going on in Bella's mind, after I spent years struggling to find out myself, and I had almost foolishly disregarded his remarks completely.

He helped me in a way no one else ever could and I did not recognize that initially. Now that I had come to my senses, I greatly appreciated his decision to share with me what he saw and felt from those memories of hers. The experience was invaluable to me.

The connection between Bella and I was deeply rooted within us because it was _our _destiny, not just mine and she did care about me as much as I did toward her. It must have been fate in order for her feelings to develop so quickly and for her to trust me whole-heartedly when I was practically a stranger to her. I had tirelessly tried to dispute Alice's prophecy all this time, believing that I was all knowing, meanwhile it had always been unavoidable. I was just too stubborn to see it.

Even Bella called me out on it, telling me that if I truly did not want her, I would have never asked her out on a walk. She was right, of course, even though she was still lacking some crucial information as to what our connection truly meant for her future.

For the first time in my existence, I understood that our bond would cultivate to its full potential if I finally accepted her as my only option for _my_ future. As I placed my fingertips to my mouth, where Bella's lips were imprinted forever, I allowed myself to finally envision her as one of us - content with her decision - and my mate for the rest of eternity.

I found myself smiling at the wonderful image and I realized that whatever Bella's wish - human or vampire - I would grant her any future with me she so desired, without forcing her in one way or the other. I just hoped she would at least chose one of those options because it would be extremely difficult for me to let her go and not have her as my mate, especially once I confessed to her what I was.

Before, I wanted to run away because I wanted to deny Alice's predictions, and now the only way I would ever leave was if Bella directly told me to do so. My, how much had changed in less than one day.

Mr. Bennett's voice swelled throughout the room, bringing the final song on the album to a close as I rested my forehead against the glass, bathing in the magnificent heat of the sunlight, reaching for anything that could possibly replicate the warmth Bella created inside of me whenever we were together. But there was simply no substitute.

_Even though our dreams may vanish_

_With the morning light_

_We loved once in splendor_

_How tender, how tender the night_

I had heard this _Tony Bennett_ tune many times before, but not until tonight had the lyrics ever rang so true.

**We know you're thinking that we suck for having Emmett wipe Bella's mind but all I'm going to say is TRUST US! We have a method to our madness. **

**Leave me sugar!** _____________________________________________________________________________


	16. Dreams May Come

**A/N **

**Here is a recap of the last few chapters:**

**Bella invited Edward to Mike Newton's Halloween party. She arrived with Jessica and Angela. Jake and Leah (who are a couple) show up at the party as well, sent by Charlie, to look after Bella because she was wearing a skimpy costume. Edward shows up with Alice and Jasper. Edward and Bella go for a walk in the woods, they talk, make out, and then Bella is attacked by (unbeknownst to her) a vampire. She falls to the ground, knocked unconscious, but not before seeing the bad vamp's face (and red eyes), Edward attacking the bad vap, as well as a wolf emerging from the forest.**

**Edward fights the bad vamp, and Jake (in wolf form) helps him while Bella remains out cold. Edward kills the bad vamp, and then, amidst Jake's protesting, takes off with Bella and runs with her back to his house where his family is waiting.**

**Carlisle treats Bella's injuries and Emmett erases her memory (because Edward is not ready to admit to Bella that he is a vampire and he doesn't want her to remember being attacked). Unfortunately, that also means her memory of their conversation and kissing in the woods is also erased. Emmett also implants the memory into Bella's head that she started to feel sick at the party, Edward drove her home in her truck, and after she said good night to him she walked into the house and upstairs to her room.**

**After Emmett uses his powers on Bella and the blood from her head injury (as well as the wound) are erased by Carlisle, Edward drives (a still unconscious) Bella home and tucks her into bed. Rosalie drives Bella's truck from the party to Bella's house to corroborate with the memories Emmett created for Bella.**

**That's it in a nut-shell...if you want more details, including Edward's thoughts on what happened, you'll have to revisit the previous chapters. Thanks for sticking with us and enjoy :)**

**Also our deepest apologies on how long it took to update. **

**Larin20 writes Bella and MissAlex writes Edward. **

Chapter Fifteen: Dreams May Come

_His lips taste sweet as I run my tongue along them. His kisses are strong and purposeful and I crave him more than I've ever craved anything in my entire life. His hands, oh his gentle, capable hands, travel down my sides to the curve of my hips and pull me closer to him. His body is hard and masculine and melds to my soft curves so perfectly. I'm so close to him that I should feel his heart beat. But I don't. _

_My pulse races as he moans into my mouth. I am sure that my cheeks are flushed, and I know my hands are shaking as I pull his head down further so I don't have to stay on my tip toes. He bends toward me, not an ounce of falter in his stance. Not like me. I stumble forward and grab onto him for dear life. I'm nervous but...not. Exhilarated is more like it. It feels right, not awkward, like I expected first kisses to be._

"_Edward?" I moan as I tangle my fingers in his hair. I take a momentary breath before delving back into the coolness of his sweet breath and the massages of his languid tongue._

"_Yes, Isabella?" he replies without breaking the kiss._

_I lean against his body, wishing I could jump inside his skin. I never want to leave his side; my body belongs pressed against his forever. _

_I was made for him._

"_I love kissing you," I tell him between breathes. "I never thought I could feel like this." I shouldn't be so blunt but I feel like I can tell him anything and he'll understand and not run away_

"_You have no idea, Isabella," he murmurs, brushing his nose across my cheek. _

_I untangle my hands from his hair and trace them along the sharp planes of his face. Cupping his cheek, I look into his vibrant, gold eyes. They are the loveliest color I have ever seen_

"_Thank you," he says._

_I am taken aback. I feel like I should be thanking _him_ - for kissing me, holding me...for existing. _

"_For what?" I ask in a whisper. I let my hands fall to his shoulders while his are still gripping my waist. _

"_You make me feel...alive."_

_I smile and the sincerity behind his words fuels the passion that burns within me. "Well, that sounds like a good thing." _

_Edward inhales deeply, like he's breathing me in, capturing me in his lungs, his heart, his soul. Without warning, his expression clouds over and whatever happiness I seem to bring him fades in an instant. _

_Like a serpent with a lighting fast strike, Edward recoils, his hands no longer touching me. He smacks his lips like he's just tasted something dreadful and inhales deeply again. _

_My heart falls. What have I done? _

"_It's a good and bad thing, Isabella." As he takes another step back from me, I shiver. I feel cold, alone...incomplete. _

"_What do you mean?" I ask. I wrap my arms around my waist as a chilled breeze wafts into the forest where we are standing. My hair tickles my shoulders and goose bumps erupt on my skin. I feel a drip...drip, drip, drip on my shoulder and place my hand where the drops made contact. _

_I look at my palm. It's covered in a sticky, red substance. Panicked, I look at Edward. "Am I bleeding?" I exclaim._

_He ignores my question. "I can't be who you need," he says, "yet I cannot live without you, Isabella. You smell too good and I know you would taste-" he stops himself, as he searches for his next word, "delectable."_

_Edward's beautiful face suddenly contorts with...what? Pain? Anger? He's panting like a caged animal on the verge of losing control._

"_Edward, I think I'm bleeding." I sound meek, like a scared child. I feel the drip again and try to catch it. Drip. Drip. Drip. There is so much blood. My hand is now drenched in blood and I begin to feel light-headed. I look down at my Halloween costume and realize it's stuck to me. Soaked with blood. _

"_Edward, help me," I beg, taking a wobbly step toward him. He looks away and takes another large step back._

"_Keep away!" he roars into the night air, his pale face lifted to the silver moon above. "Don't come any closer, Isabella!" _

"_Edward?" I somehow manage to take another step despite the dizziness that has captured my brain. _

_Edward jumps back so fast it looks like he flew through the air. He lands on his feet in a crouched position, his fingertips pressed to the ground on either side of his body. "I said keep away," he repeats, his tone ominous._

"_There is so much blood. I need you," I say weakly. "Help me."_

_A growl emanates from deep within his chest, sending a chilling vibration down my spine._

_Edward stands and straightens his back. "I need you too, but I will never bring you anything but pain." _

_I gasp, bringing my bloody hand to my mouth. The beautiful golden eyes of his that mesmerized me before have disappeared. Edward's irises are now a sinister, deadly shade of crimson. _

_Like the color of blood._

_I look down at my bloody hands and costume and stumble to the side. Instead of moving away, Edward now inches closer to me, his steps lithe and calculated._

_He licks his lips, the same lips I so desperately kissed just moments ago. My attraction to him has now waned and I feel nothing but fear as he closes the gap between us. I feel so weak I cannot run. My body is shaking and feel cold. So, so cold._

_This is no longer Edward. _

_I know it in my heart. _

_He raises his hands to my cheeks, his blood red eyes searching mine. A wicked smile passes across his face. _

_This is not the smile I remember._

_I close my eyes tightly. I'm scared, trembling. _

"_Isabelllllaaaaaa," he sings into my ear. His voice is not melodic and pleasant like Edward's. It's darker, deeper and he has an accent. _

_He nuzzles my neck. His tongue darts out and he aggressively licks from my shoulder to my chin. I cringe at the cold path his tongue leaves behind. _

_This is not Edward's touch. _

_I shiver as his hand encircles my neck and sense his face inches from mine. _

_I keep my eyes sealed shut and take in a deep breath, struggling to remain conscious_

"_Open your eyes, Isabelllllaaaaaa," he murmurs, taunting me. _

_I shake my head, but only minutely; his firm grasp on my neck overpowers me._

"_Open them, ma Cherie," he says, his voice thick with dominance. _

"_I can't, this isn't you." I try to jerk away from his hold but I know my efforts are futile. He is much too strong. _

_He starts to laugh loudly and boastfully. _

_I open my eyes and lurch backward. _

_A dark-skinned man with long thick, dreaded black hair, wearing a terrifying grin stares back at me. Frantically, I claw my nails at his arm which still holds me firmly. Once again my attempt to escape is in vain. _

"_Ma Cherie, please don't resist," he instructs in a thick accent. "It will only hurt for a moment."_

_Before I can blink, he lunges toward me and sinks his teeth into my neck._

_The pain is so blinding that I cannot scream. Then everything turns black._

My eyes popped open and I sat up, clutching my chest over my rapidly beating heart. A light sheen of sweat covered my body, dampening my clothes. My hair was stuck to my face and my head pounded. Scanning my surrounding, I realized that I was in my bedroom, alone and safe and I coached myself to calm down. It was nothing but a horrible dream.

My covers were rumpled and thrown every which way like I had a war with my sheets. When I looked down, I noticed that I was still wearing my costume from the night before. My heels sat on the floor next to my bed, perfectly placed on the carpet as if they were on display at a shoe store. So unlike me.

I squinted toward my window. The sunlight pouring into my room was too bright and made my headache worse. Looking at the alarm clock on my bedside table, I saw that it was only eight in the morning. My truck keys sat perched next to the clock. I furrowed my brow. Normally, I never brought my keys upstairs. I usually hung them on the key holder by the front door.

I must have been pretty out of it last night. Was I sure that I didn't drink any alcohol? Because I felt like I had the hangover from hell.

"Ugh, it's too freakin' early," I moaned as I lay back on my bed and listened to the birds chirping outside my window. I usually slept in on the weekends, but considering the dream I just had, I didn't feel like sleeping any longer.

The dream was so vivid and life-like. The kissing was hot. Even though I was sleeping, I felt Edward's touch down to my toes and, most pleasurably, between my legs. I bit my lip as I realized that I had dreamt about Edward Cullen two nights in a row. My infatuation over him confused me.

We'd only just met, yet I felt a wonderfully strange and very potent pull toward him. I remembered feeling it last night at the party before he even walked in the door; a complete and utter submission of my senses. My body felt him, wanted him; already knew him.

This probably won't bode well in Bio on Monday morning.

Heat rose in my cheeks. After last night, Edward probably didn't want to talk to me again. Why did I eat so many snack foods at the party? I had the perfect opportunity to get to know him better, yet I just had to get sick and leave early. Worst of all, he had to drive me home! God, how embarrassing!

I glanced at my car keys again. I really didn't remember the drive home at all. I had flashes of Edward behind the wheel of my truck and vaguely remembered climbing the stairs to my room after we said good night, but the details weren't there at all. I remembered it like one would a hazy, distant memory from years ago. Unfortunately, I didn't have Edward's number so I couldn't thank him - and apologize.

I got out of bed and stretched, bringing my arms above my head. As I yawned and scratched my head, I realized that my hair was a bird's nest. Grabbing my brush and a hair tie off my dresser, I went into the bathroom and flicked on the light. I avoided the mirror and instead, turned on the faucet and washed my face. If I looked any way near to how I felt, seeing the evidence was the last thing I needed. After drying my face with a hand towel, I took the elastic and pulled my hair back into a ponytail.

I dragged the brush back over my scalp, getting rid of the tangles in my hair as best as I could. When my fingers grazed behind my ear, I felt something odd. It was crusty, like something had dried on my skin. Looking into the mirror, I leaned over the sink and bent my ear forward to get a closer look. My eyes widened. It looked like dried blood. There wasn't a large amount but enough to flood my mind with images from my nightmare.

_Blood dripping down onto my shoulder._

_My hands covered in red and trembling._

_Edward crouched like a wild animal, ready to attack me. _

_Crimson eyes calling to me. "Issabelllllllllaaaaaa."_

I jumped as the brush dropped from my hand to the floor with a clamor. "It was just a dream, Bella," I murmured, shaking my head at my stupidity.

I brought my shaky hand to the area again. The skin was intact. There was no scab or wound, so where the hell did the blood come from?

I revisited everything I could remember from the party. Angela, Jessica, and I arrived, I spoke to Jess on the curb, Jake and Leah showed up, I helped set up the food, ate the food, waited for Edward, Mike Newton came up to me and...

I started laughing.

Now I remembered it perfectly. Mike Newton came up behind me and tried to bite my neck with all that fake blood around his mouth. _"I vaunt to suck your blood," _he had said. That was where the dried "blood" on my neck came from.

"Of course," I said out loud with a little chuckle, feeling relieved.

Then I shivered. Mike Newton's lips had touched me? Gross.

I took a washcloth from the cabinet and ran it under the faucet before removing the stain from my neck and a bit I found in my hair. I had to scrub pretty hard to get it all off. Crazy, fake blood dried just like the real stuff, apparently.

The water in the sink turned pink as I rinsed off the wash cloth under the tap. Contented that I was thoroughly cleaned, I brushed my teeth, patted some face powder on my cheeks and rubbed some Chapstick over my lips. My reflection looked pretty good, considering how horrible I felt. I opened up the medicine cabinet over the sink and popped an Aspirin, washing it down with a glass of water.

I walked back into my room and stood in front of my closet, looking at my clothes. Since it was Saturday and dad was off with Billy, my mom and I usually went to _Carnivores _to help Sue Clearwater later in the morning. She typically put us to work, baking various pies for the dinner rush, and we chatted all afternoon. Leah, Sue's daughter, sometimes helped but she mainly manned the dining room serving as the lone waitress during the afternoon shift. Since I would be staying back in the kitchen today, jeans and a plain shirt were suitable. Grabbing a fresh pair of jeans and a navy blue Henley thermal, I got dressed and then put on my socks and shoes.

As I was lacing up my shoes on my bed, I heard a knock on my door.

"Hey, baby, you up yet?" My mom peeked around my half-opened door.

I smiled. "Yeah, I'm up."

She pushed my door open fully and walked into my room, holding a stack of clean towels. She placed them on my dresser. My mom, typically a late sleep like myself, looked especially chirper this morning with a spring to her step. It was safe to say she had a better night's sleep than I did.

"You look like you had a rough night," she said cheerfully as she walked toward my bed. "I didn't expect you to be up yet. How did the party go?"

"It went good, I guess, until I got sick and came home early." I moaned a little while holding my head, which was still pounding.

"You got sick?" She eyed me playfully. "Were you...drinking?"

She didn't care as much as my father did about teenage drinking. She always said that she and dad weren't angels when they were my age. As long as I was safe about it, it was not a big deal.

I huffed. "No, I wasn't for your information. I think I ate some bad cheese and, uh...Angela brought me home in my truck. Then a friend of ours from school drove her back to the party."

I wasn't telling mom that Edward brought me home. I would never hear the end of it.

Then it hit me. If Edward drove me home in my truck, how did he get back to the party? I cringed inwardly at the thought of one of his brothers or sisters having to pick him up from here after he dropped me off. It was funny though because I didn't remember us discussing his return transportation. But given that my car keys were here, my truck was here too, so he must've gotten a ride somewhere else.

"Was it gouda?"

I looked at my mom, confused. "What?"

"Gouda. You know, the cheese. You can't trust goat cheese."

"Why can't you trust-?" I shook my head. "No, I don't want to know. It was just cheese, okay? Cheddar cheese. Besides gouda is from a cow."

My mom sat down next to me, rubbing my shoulders. "Oh, well, cow...goat. They both have tits."

"Oh. My. God! Mom! There's a pretty big difference between the two."

"They are both milked so they're the same in my book. But goat cheese smells like feet, so I don't want it in the house. Okay?"

I rolled my eyes. "Not a problem, Mom."

She smiled and I did too. This was why I loved her. I never knew if she was serious or joking and she always lifted my spirits with her endless optimism and positive outlook on life.

"Why don't you take it easy today?" she suggested. "We can eat some breakfast – _cheese free_ - and watch some chick flicks this afternoon, that is, before you father kicks us out of the living room when the Seahawks come on."

"Aren't we going to _Carnivores _today?"

"Actually, Sue just called and said that they were closing the restaurant today. She said she isn't feeling too well. You dad isn't seeing Billy Black today either. Maybe there's a bug going around the Rez." My mom winked. "Or maybe they ate bad cheese, too."

"Ha ha," I deadpanned.

She chuckled. "So she told me she would give me a call later. I hope she's feeling okay."

"Yes, me too. I hope it's nothing serious."

My mom gave me a tight one-armed hug. "I'm sure she'll be fine. Anyway, how 'bout I make you some eggs and toast with jelly? If your stomach is up for it."

I smiled. "Sure, that'd be great. My stomach feels fine this morning. I guess I got over my food poisoning or whatever it was. My head still hurts though."

"Well, we'll fix you up with some R&R." She kissed my forehead and stood from my bed.

"Thanks, Mom."

"That's what moms are for, sweetie."

My cell phone started ringing. "Mom, I'll get this and then come downstairs."

"Okay, baby. Take your time." My mother walked out of my room and closed the door behind her.

I walked to my dresser and picked my phone off the charger. I didn't take it with me last night since I knew everyone would be at the party anyway.

"Hello," I answered.

"Where did the hell did you go with Edward Cullen last night?" Angela shouted into the receiver.

God, I knew this phone call was coming. "Good morning to you too and can you not yell? I have a massive headache."

"Well?" she pressed. I could just picture her tapping her foot while standing in her bedroom, wearing pigtails, striped toe socks, and a Hello Kitty bathrobe. That was standard weekend wear for Angela, especially before ten in the morning.

"Well, what?" I toyed with her.

She shrieked and I winced as the throbbing in my head worsened. "Oh my God, Bella! Just tell me. I saw you leave out the back door with Edward Cullen and then I didn't see you again. So you better start spilling some details or I'll go ask the hot piece of man meat directly. Or better yet, I'll tell Jessica to ask him, and you and I both know how well that conversation would go." Angela snickered.

The little shit.

"You're evil, you know that?"

"When I need to be."

"Fine, I'll tell you but you're not going to like what I have to say."

"Why?"

"Because nothing happened."

"Nothing?"

"Nope."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Angela bellowed. "Did nothing of what we talked about last night get through to you?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, it did but I got ill last night and Edward was nice enough to offer to drive me home. I don't remember too much of the ride though. I must have been pretty out of it."

"Was this before or after you vanished with him into the woods?"

Visions from my nightmare flashed before me and I blanched. "Vanished in the woods?" I stammered. "What are you talking about?"

"Ben and I saw you and Edward cross the backyard and head into the woods behind Mike's house when we went to get a drink from the keg."

I racked my brain for any recollection of going into the woods with Edward. My search came up empty. I would think that I would remember if it happened so that obviously meant it didn't. "I didn't go into the woods," I replied firmly.

"Yes, you did. I saw you and Edward with my own eyes."

"Edward and I got a drink in the kitchen and all of a sudden I felt sick to my stomach and he offered to give me a ride home. In fact, we didn't even go out the back door. We went out the front of the house and he drove me home in my truck. The next thing I remember, I was waking up this morning in my costume."

"Bella, I saw you walk into the woods. You can't hide things from me. You obviously left after you made out behind a tree or something. So spill it."

"I didn't make out with Edward," I snapped. At least I didn't in real life; dream life, well, that was another story.

"Why else would you two have gone into the woods?"

I was starting to get irritated. There were gaps in my recollections of last night but I also knew that I would've remembered if Edward and I made out.

"Why aren't you telling me the truth?" she asked after a few moments.

"I am telling you the truth."

"You know if you don't want to share with me what happened with Edward, that's fine. But don't lie to me. I thought we were friends."

This was getting ridiculous. "Of course, we're friends, Angela. I would tell you everything if something actually happened but nothing did so-"

She sighed. "I'll just see you in class on Monday. Later."

She hung up before I could try to stop her. I was out of it last night so maybe she was right and Edward and I did leave through the back door. It was possible. But even though parts of the night were fuzzy for me, I didn't doubt that I had nothing to worry about with him. He was truly a gentleman, and for some reason, I knew for certain that he hadn't taken advantage of me.

Plus, if Angela and Ben were drinking, maybe their recollections of the night aren't as great as she thought.

"Bells!" My mom yelled from downstairs.

"Coming!" I shouted back. I shuffled over to my mirror and adjusted my ponytail.

Making my way down the stairs, I smelled the bacon my mom prepared and the sweet honey toast that I heard just pop out of the toaster. My mom was plating my eggs when I stepped foot into the kitchen. I got out the orange juice and poured both of us a cup.

"Morning, Bells." My dad greeted me from the kitchen table. He had the paper spread out before him while he sipped his morning coffee.

"Morning," I said, pulling out a chair. My mom set my plate down in front of me and went to fix her own plate.

"You look like hell this morning."

"Gee thanks, Dad," I said dryly.

"You weren't drinking last night, were you?" My father cocked his eyebrow, giving me a once over. Always the cop.

"I wasn't even there long enough to drink even if I wanted to," I stated matter-of-factly.

"What are you talking about?"

"I came home early because I didn't feel good."

"Early? You came home after well after midnight, Bells."

After midnight?" I mumbled, picking up my fork. I wasn't keeping time at the party so maybe it was that late, after all. I mean, I talked with Edward for a bit, then there was awhile before he even showed up...

"Well, that's still early," I added, "considering Mike's parties usually go all night and well into the next morning."

My father shrugged and took another sip of coffee.

My eyes narrowed. "Hey, wait a minute, Dad, you're not getting off that easily. I'm mad at you. You didn't have to send Jake, the watchdog, to look after me!"

He scoffed. "You were barely wearing clothes!"

I dropped my fork to the plate with a clamor. "I was wearing a dress!"

"A short dress," he argued.

"It wasn't like my boobs or ass was hanging out!"

My dad choked on his coffee and set down the mug. "I did what I saw was fit for the situation," he sputtered.

"You can't treat me like a child anymore, Dad!"

I was so over his attitude and overbearing nature. He wasn't this bad back in Seattle. Then again, he was too busy to notice that his little girl was growing up. Now in Forks, he had all the time in the world to stew about the length of my dresses or the friends I spent time with.

"You lower your voice, young lady," he said. "I'm your father and I know what is best for you. Subject over."

"Dad, you make me feel like I can't do anything or that I'm always in danger. I don't need Jake with me during everything I do." I exhaled a deep breath. "Listen, Jake has become a close friend and I don't want you bothering him every time you think I need a security detail. He's got his own life too. It's not like he's getting paid to be at your beckoned call."

My dad focused on his newspaper, avoiding eye contact with me. Then it hit me.

"You're paying him?" I exclaimed. "Unbelievable!"

"Well, it's not like I told him I would pay him _money_. I just said I would make it worth his while."

"Bribery. That's even worse! I can't believe you!"

My mom put her hand on my shoulder. "Charlie, you didn't?"

"I know how these young men think, Renee. Bella shouldn't be parading around town – at night, especially – dressed the way she was."

I rolled my eyes. "Dad, I wasn't even the one dressed as a hooker! Where was Jessica's bodyguard?"

His eyes widened. "She was dressed as a hooker?"

"Come off it, Dad!"

"Bella-"

"Charlie," my mom interjected, refilling his coffee cup, "she looked perfectly decent. If you remember, I wore shorter dresses than that when I was a teenager."

"My point exactly," he snapped.

I cringed. "Oh gross, I'm eating."

My mom giggled.

My dad cleared his throat. "Anyway, it was Halloween night, Bells, anything can happen."

"This isn't Seattle, Dad. People leave their doors unlocked here. The worst that has ever happened is clothes going missing from the dryer at the local laundry mat."

"Bells-"

"Dad, all I'm saying is that you need to trust me. I can make my own decisions and you don't need to send in the cavalry every time I step outside the door. What are you going to do when I go to college? Huh?"

My dad's moustache twitched. "I get your point, Bells, but I'm always going to be your father, who just happens to be a cop as well, so your argument won't work with me. Wherever you go or whatever you do will always be a concern of mine. I know that I need to give you some freedom and next time I will trust your judgement before flying off the handle. But you got to cut me some slack too. You could have warned me about the dress."

I sighed. "I'm sorry. You're right. So, no more bodyguards?"

He didn't answer right away. "For now," he relented, "but I won't make promises when you start dating."

"You are not sending Jake out on dates with me, Dad. No way!"

"You can double date."

"No," I said with finality.

"I could always get Jake and Leah to-"

A hard knock sounded off on the front door, interrupting him.

"I'll get that," my father said, getting up. "We'll talk about dating some other time."

I rolled my eyes.

"Speaking of bodyguards," My dad announced.

I turned around and saw Jake stepping around my dad into the house, his massive frame dwarfing the foyer.

"Hey, Jake!"

Jake didn't answer. Instead, he strode into the kitchen and planted himself in the chair next to me, eyeing me up and down with his jaw clenched.

"Jake, what are you doing?"

Jake stood and looked toward my mother and father, who were watching him with the same amount of curiosity I was. "Um, nothing. Is that bacon I smell?" He bounded over to the stove and wolfed down the remaining five pieces in seconds.

"Let me make you some eggs, Jake. It will only take me a minute," my mother offered.

Swallowing, Jake replied, "I'm not hungry, thanks." He took the remaining toast and ate it in two bites.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked me, wiping his hands on his jean shorts.

"Sure. We can go to my room."

"Keep your door open," my dad barked. I rolled my eyes and Jake snickered.

"Your dad knows I'm dating Leah, right?" Jake whispered as we walked up the stairs.

"It doesn't matter if you're married, dating a supermodel, or gay," I muttered. "You're male, with a penis, and that's enough to warrant the open door policy in his house."

"He's a smart man."

I scoffed. "Hey, whose side are you on?"

"I'm on the one that doesn't get you hurt."

I entered my room and flopped onto my bed, waiting for Jake to sit next to me. Instead, he stopped in my doorway, his huge body rigid.

"Jake, what is it?"

He crinkled his nose as though he smelled something fowl, and then began pacing my room, his hands balled into fists.

"Is there something wrong? You look tense."

Jake stopped and knelt down in front of me. He held my wrists in his hands, running his thumbs over my skin. Then he leaned into my neck and started sniffling. His expression was hard to read, but the bulging veins in his neck were unmistakable. He looked angry. _Livid._

His nostrils flared as his dark eyes met mine. "How are you feeling?" he asked through clenched teeth, his body slightly trembling.

I pried my wrists out of his grip. "Fine. I just woke up with a little headache. Why?"

He closed his eyes. "Last night, you were...I couldn't even..."

I then realized how panicked he must've been after I left the party and didn't tell him. I felt horrible for making him worry.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was going. I felt sick and Edward Cullen - who you were rude to last night for no reason, by the way - brought me home. He's new at my school and offered to drive my truck for me. It was very nice of him, don't you think?"

"Nice?" Jake growled, his eyes blazing.

I shrugged. "It was no big deal."

"Did you wake up wearing your costume?" he asked gruffly.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, I did. Edward didn't take advance of me, he's a complete gentleman."

Jake stood up straight, towering over me as I sat on my bed. "I want you to stay away from him, Bella."

I gaped at him. "Pardon me?"

"He's not good enough for you. You have to listen to me. This is very important." I could've sworn his voice shook slightly but it did nothing to lessen my anger.

Was he seriously trying to tell me whom I could and couldn't hang out with? Unbelievable!

I shook my head. "And who are you to make demands like that, _father_? Last time I checked, I made my own decisions. And I have decided that Edward Cullen is great guy. I don't remember anyone else at that party offering to bring me home after I started feeling sick."

"Oh, really, what _do_ you remember about that party?"

I gulped, refusing to admit that parts of the night were a little fuzzy. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," he said. "Just please, B, listen to me for once. Stay away from him. I know what I'm talking about."

"Do you know something I don't? You're confusing the fuck out of me."

"Can you just leave it as it is?" he begged.

"How can I stay away from him? I go to school with not only Edward – who happens to be my Bio lab partner - but his brothers and sisters too. I'm going to see them every day."

"You don't understand ..." He began pacing my room again.

"Jake, I'm getting kind of sick of the protective brother thing. Where were you when Mike Newton tried to suck on my neck last night? I mean, come on! You're acting like I'm some breakable doll. Last time I checked, Leah and I are the same age, yet, it's all right for you to fuck her six ways to Sunday, while I can't even have a guy drive me home?"

"Leah and I are different."

"How?"

He stopped before me. "We just are, Bella.

I crossed my arms. "Well that's not good enough."

Jake sighed. "Anyway, Leah is coming over here in a while. Since _Carnivores _is closed, she's bored and thought it would be fun for the two of you to have a girl day. She's bringing movies and her stuff. She's spending the night."

"Um, okay."

That was unexpected. It wasn't unusual for Leah to come over and spend the night once in a while, but Jake telling and not asking me was strange. Without another word, Jake crossed the room and left. His behaviour was seriously strange but I didn't have the energy to argue with him further.

By the time I returned downstairs, my dad was gone out somewhere and my mother had left a note saying that she went grocery shopping, and telling me to wash the dishes.

As I cleaned up the kitchen, I thought about Jake's weird warning. I didn't understand where his resentment came from. He couldn't have known the Cullens because they kept mostly to themselves and he didn't go to school with them. Maybe something happened between Jake and Alice and Jasper at the party after I left and he was taking it out on Edward.

My head was starting to pound again. I was thinking too hard. There had to be simple explanation. If Jake wasn't going to be forthcoming with information, then I would have to ask Edward...if he still wanted to talk to me.

"Yo, woman!" Leah breezed in the front door, carrying her overnight bag. She wore skinny jeans and a fitted flannel shirt. Her hair was parted down the middle and cascading over her shoulders. She was effortlessly beautiful.

I smiled and dried my hands with a kitchen towel. "Hey, you! How's your mom? Feelin' any better?"

"Ya, she's fine, why?"

"Renee told me Sue wasn't feeling well, along with others on the Rez, which is why she closed the restaurant down today."

Leah shifted from foot to foot and then smiled. "Inventory. Once a year we close shop for inventory. That's what mom's doing. Yep, inventory."

"Counting straws and napkins. Sounds tedious."

"Billy is helping her along with Jared and Paul."

"So they aren't sick either? My mom assumed Billy was sick since he cancelled on my dad today. But inventory makes sense. Anyway, my mom and I could have helped. We wouldn't have minded."

Leah giggled. "No way, it's boring. Why do you think I skipped out?"

She put her bag down on the table and started rummaging through it. "So I have a plan." She dug out four DVD cases and held them up like a hand of cards. "Lots of movies, lots of food and...I'll let you braid my hair. Isn't that what normal girls do at slumber parties?"

"Leah, you're not normal."

"I know, isn't it great?" She laughed. "Seriously, I need a break from the testosterone. I'm letting Jake run with the boys tonight. Sorry to barge in on you like this but Jake said you wouldn't mind."

"He seems to think he knows what's best for me lately," I mumbled under my breath.

Surprisingly, Leah heard me. "He's just looking out for you, Bella."

"No offense, but what if I had a hot date today and couldn't have a girl's day with you? He just assumed I was free."

"Do you have a hot date today?"

"No." I answered, casting my gaze to the floor briefly

Although, I wished I did have a date. With Edward.

Leah winked. "It's settled then, I'm your date tonight."

We walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, settling in for an afternoon of John Hughes flicks. My mother arrived home halfway through _The Breakfast Club_ and mentioned that she bought the ingredients for homemade pizza. Leah and I both squealed because if my mom was good at one thing it was making the absolutely best pizza I had ever tasted.

After watching _Pretty in Pink_, we made pizza and giggled - with my mother, of course. I secretly thought that she liked the girl time, herself. My mother and father got pregnant with me out of high school and she didn't have a lot of time to just hang out and have fun.

My dad returned home after dinner and after dropping several hints that the Seahawks game was starting soon, he realized that he was outnumbered and we weren't going to move. He resigned and disappeared into the master bedroom to watch TV instead.

The rest of the night was uneventful. My mother went to bed, leaving Leah and me alone just after eleven. We chatted until midnight when we finally succumbed to sleep. That night I dreamed of Edward again. This time though, he didn't turn into a vicious killer and attack me. He simply held me in his arms and whispered in my ear how much he cared about me and would do anything for me.

On Sunday, Leah stayed all day again. We went for a walk and helped my mom clean the house. By five o'clock, I was starting to think that Leah was never going to go home. She kept making excuses to stay. I loved hanging out with her but this was unusual for her.

By dinnertime, Jake showed up like he smelled the pot roast my mom made all the way from his house, and he stayed to eat with us. My mother made a plate for Billy and sent it home with Jake and Leah when they left at nine. I attempted to call Angela to smooth things over after our argument yesterday but I only got her voicemail. So I texted her that I was sorry, hoping she wouldn't be mad at me tomorrow at school.

As I laid my head on my pillow Sunday night, I wished for one night of dreamless sleep. When I faced Edward tomorrow morning, I wanted to be on my A game. I wanted to politely thank him for helping me and pray to God that he still wanted to know me afterward. After all, chauffeuring your sick lab partner around Forks probably wasn't how he wanted to spend his Friday night, especially when he could've stayed at the party with Alice and Jasper and gotten to know people better. It was the first social event they'd been invited to since they moved here and I had to ruin for him.

I woke up Monday morning, feeling refreshed. I still dreamt of Edward, but it was a more peaceful dream. We drove in his car, the wind blowing in from the opened window and through my hair as he held my hand. The road went for miles and miles and we leisurely traveled every twist and turn as though we had all the time in the world, laughing together and feeling incredibly happy.

Our journey was endless with no destination in sight. However, we didn't care because we were together. The only part of the dream that was odd to me was the smell of the car's interior; a mixture of leather, Edward, but also...charred ash.

I rushed through my shower, got dressed and let my hair air dry. After quickly grabbing an Eggo, my travel mug full of coffee, and my backpack, I yanked my keys off the holder by the door and glanced at the clock.

Late. Shit.

My father already left for work and my mother was walking down the stairs as I ran for the door.

"Bye, Mom. Love you! See you after school!" I shouted over my shoulder. As I stepped outside, my heart stopped and I skidded to a halt.

A now-familiar, expensive vehicle was parked in my driveway behind my truck. But the beautiful sports car wasn't what took my breath away. Leaning against the passenger side door, wearing dark-washed jeans that sat low on his hips and a crisp, white button-down shirt was the gorgeous Edward Cullen.

His eyes met mine and my heart jolted back to life as his tongue grazed across his lower lip.

Memories of the kisses we shared in my dreams flooded my mind and I felt my cheeks turning red.

I blinked once.

Twice.

He didn't disappear.

Oh my God, I wasn't dreaming. He was actually here.

"Good morning, Isabella," he greeted me, running a pale hand through his perfectly tousled bronze locks.

I snapped my mouth shut. And because I could never think of anything smart and normal to say whenever I talked to Edward Cullen, the first thing out of my mouth was...

"Uh...hey."

**Recap of the Cullens' Powers:**

**Carlise - can selectively heal superficial wounds on humans with a simple touch**

**Esme - can move objects with her mind except those made of pure silver.**

**Rosalie - immunity to the effects of pure silver. (She can move/manipulate/break it with her mind and touch it without it burning her, which all other vampires cannot do)**

**Emmett - can selectively erase memories in humans as well as implant them**

**Jasper - technological genius and he can manipulate human and vampire emotions**

**Alice -has visions of the future**

**Edward - mind reader and has special venom, which, when injected into other vampires, turns them to ash**

Until next time, hopefully it won't be ten months again. Hound Alex, Edward is up next ;)


End file.
